Sample designs, placeholder names

Diploma Examples & Sample Designs

Compare high school, high school equivalency and college diploma samples side by side, then personalize the layout you like as a keepsake display copy.

See the sample designs

Searching for a diploma example usually means one thing: you want to see what the finished piece looks like before you commit. This page gathers sample diplomas from every Hey Congrats! design family in one place. Each product below shows our own artwork with placeholder names and generic schools, so you can judge the border, seal placement, lettering and paper tone. When a sample fits, open it and swap in your own details.

Browse sample diploma designs

Design families

What each diploma sample shows

High school samples

Classic "has satisfactorily completed" wording, a district-style seal and two or three signature lines. Also available as state-inspired layouts.

High school display sets

High school equivalency samples

Equivalency-style layouts with a state-agency look. Our High School Equivalency display copies never reproduce state or testing-provider marks.

High School Equivalency display copies

State-style samples

High school layouts organized by state, with district-style wording and seal placement you can personalize.

High school diplomas by state

College samples

Formal Latin or English conferral wording, blackletter school line and an embossed-style seal.

College diploma copies

Anatomy of a diploma

What a diploma usually looks like, element by element

Element	High school	High school equivalency	College
Header	School or district name	State agency style heading	University name, often blackletter
Main wording	"has satisfactorily completed the course of study"	"high school equivalency" wording	"has conferred upon … the degree of"
Seal	District or school crest	State-style seal	University seal, often gold foil
Signatures	Principal, superintendent, board	State agency signer	President, dean, registrar
Typical size	6 × 8 to 8.5 × 11 in.	8.5 × 11 in.	8.5 × 11 to 11 × 14 in.

Sizes are common ranges, not rules; each product page lists the size of our print.

From sample to your copy

Turning a sample into your personalized keepsake

1. Pick the closest sample

Choose by level first (high school, high school equivalency, college), then by border and seal style.

2. Replace the placeholders

Enter the name, school text and date you want displayed. We never add wording you did not provide.

3. Review your proof

Eligible orders get a digital proof so you can check spelling and layout before printing.

Diploma example questions

Most show the school or district name at the top, the graduate's name, a completion statement, the date, a seal and two or three signatures on parchment-style paper. Browse our high school samples above to see those parts in place.

High school equivalency diplomas are issued by each state, so the design varies; most carry a state heading and agency details. Request your High School Equivalency record from your state's education department. Our High School Equivalency products are keepsake display copies.

No. Every sample is artwork we created, shown with placeholder names and generic institutions.

Schools handle it differently: some print both majors, some print only the degree title. On a keepsake copy you can list both majors if you want.

Yes. Every product page shows sample images, and eligible orders include a proof of your personalized version before printing.

Visit our customer layout gallery for photos of completed keepsakes.