High school and college diploma examples

What High School & College Diplomas Look Like

See what high school and college diplomas look like, compare sample layouts, then personalize the design you like as a display copy.

See the sample designs

If you have ever asked what a high school diploma looks like, or what a college diploma looks like, you are usually trying to picture the finished document before you order a display copy or frame one you already have. This page gathers diploma examples and sample designs so you can compare high school, high school equivalency, and college layouts side by side.

A typical diploma is a formal certificate: a school or program name at the top, the graduate's name in a prominent line, a completion or conferral sentence, a date, a seal, and two or three signatures. High school diplomas often use “has satisfactorily completed the course of study.” College diplomas more often say the institution “has conferred upon” the graduate a named degree. Common sizes run from 8.5 × 11 inches to 11 × 14 inches.

Browse sample diploma designs

Sample designs

Diploma examples by level

High school samples

Classic “has satisfactorily completed” wording, a district-style seal, and two or three signature lines. Also available as state-inspired layouts. These samples show what a high school diploma usually looks like, with placeholder names.

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, a blackletter school line, and an embossed-style seal. These samples show what a college diploma typically looks like.

College diploma copies

High school diplomas

What a high school diploma looks like

Most high school diplomas share a familiar structure even when borders and fonts differ. At the top is the school or district name, sometimes with a crest. The graduate's name sits in the center, often in a script or a formal serif. A completion sentence such as “has satisfactorily completed the course of study prescribed by the Board of Education” carries the formal wording of the document, followed by the date and a city or campus line. Two or three signature lines are common, typically for a principal, a superintendent, and a board officer. A round seal, sometimes foil-stamped, sits near the signatures or the lower corner.

Sizes for high school diplomas often fall between a smaller ceremonial sheet and a standard 8.5 × 11 inch page. Some schools use landscape certificates; most academic diplomas are portrait. State-style layouts follow the same parts but may lean on a state name or a district heading. Our high school diploma display copies and state-style samples follow this anatomy with placeholder names, so you can see the look without treating the sample as a document from a real school.

A high school equivalency diploma is a close cousin with a different issuer. The heading usually names a state education office rather than a local school, and the wording refers to high school equivalency rather than to completing a particular school's course of study. The sheet is often 8.5 × 11 inches. Our High School Equivalency display copies use equivalency-style layouts and do not reproduce state or testing-provider marks.

College diplomas

What a college diploma looks like

A college or university diploma usually looks more formal than a high school diploma, with a wider margin, a blackletter or engraved-style institution line, and conferral wording such as “the Trustees have conferred upon [Name] the degree of Bachelor of Arts.” The degree title is the center of the document: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Philosophy, and the many professional doctorates each have their own line. Some institutions still use Latin for the conferral sentence; many now use English. A university seal, often in gold foil, and signatures from a president, dean, or registrar complete the page.

College diplomas are commonly printed on 8.5 × 11 or 11 × 14 inch sheets, and some universities use even larger ceremonial paper. Honors lines, double majors, and a field of study may appear under the degree title, or they may be reserved for the transcript. Schools handle those extras differently, which is why a display copy should follow the wording you want shown rather than guess.

Browse college diploma display copies for stock and match-style university layouts. The samples on this page use placeholder institution names. A diploma from a particular college may use different typography, a different seal placement, or a different sheet size, so treat these as examples of the genre, not as pictures of a specific school's document.

Anatomy of a diploma

Diploma parts, compared side by side

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.

Diploma size

How big is a diploma?

Diploma size is one of the most common follow-up questions after “what does it look like?” There is no single standard, but these ranges cover most academic documents and the display copies we print:

Document	Common sheet size	Usual orientation
High school diploma	6 × 8 to 8.5 × 11 inches	Portrait, occasionally landscape
High school equivalency diploma	8.5 × 11 inches	Portrait
College or university diploma	8.5 × 11 to 11 × 14 inches	Portrait
Certificates and awards	8.5 × 11 inches, sometimes 8 × 10	Portrait or landscape

If you plan to present the document in a holder, match the cover to the finished sheet. See diploma covers and folders for blank, engraved, and custom options in the sizes above. Each product page lists the print size of our display copies, which may be chosen for framing even when a particular school used a different sheet.

From sample to your copy

Turning a sample into your personalized display copy

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. Check your Preview

Eligible orders get a digital Preview 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 such as “has satisfactorily completed the course of study,” the date, a seal, and two or three signatures. Many are printed on an 8.5 × 11 inch portrait sheet, though smaller ceremonial sizes exist.

A college diploma usually names the university, the graduate, and the degree conferred, with a university seal and signatures from officers such as a president, dean, or registrar. Wording may be English or Latin. Common sizes are 8.5 × 11 and 11 × 14 inches.

High school equivalency diplomas are issued by each state, so the design varies. Most carry a state heading and agency details rather than a local school name, and many use an 8.5 × 11 inch sheet. Request a school-issued copy from your state. The samples here are our own equivalency-style layouts.

No. Every sample is artwork we created, shown with placeholder names and generic institutions. A diploma from a particular school may look different.

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

Yes. Every product page shows sample images, and eligible orders include a preview of your personalized version before printing. You can also browse the customer layout gallery.

Measure the finished sheet. Many high school diplomas use 8.5 × 11 inches; many college diplomas use that size or 11 × 14 inches. Match a diploma cover or folder to those dimensions and to portrait or landscape orientation.

Visit our customer layout gallery for photos of completed display copies.