SignguinA good email signature for students is 3 to 5 lines: your full name, your school, your program or year (for example "B.S. Computer Science, expected May 2027"), and one or two ways to reach you, such as your school email and a LinkedIn link. Leave out quotes, home addresses and big images. If you write from a school account, check your school's signature rules first, because many universities set them.
Below you will find what to include at each stage (high school, undergrad, grad school and PhD, internships and job hunting), what universities actually allow, copy-ready plain-text examples, and how to add the finished signature in Gmail or Outlook.
Why a student email signature matters more than you think
Professors, advisors, admissions officers and recruiters read a lot of email. A clear signature saves them a lookup: which class you are in, which program, which year, how to reach you. That is the whole job.
It also helps you later. The internship coordinator who sees "B.S. Mechanical Engineering, expected May 2027 | linkedin.com/in/yourname" can click through to your profile without asking. A signature that just says "Sent from my iPhone" gives them nothing.
What a student email signature should include
Most students need four or five of these, not all of them:
| Element | Include it? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Always | Maya Okafor |
| Pronouns | Optional, your choice | (she/her) |
| Program or major | Always (college and up) | B.A. Economics |
| Graduation year | Usually | Class of 2027, or expected May 2027 |
| School name | Always | University of Example |
| School email | Usually (it is already in the "From" line, but helps when forwarded) | mokafor@example.edu |
| Phone | Only for applications and recruiters | (555) 010-0142 |
| LinkedIn or portfolio | Recommended when job hunting | linkedin.com/in/mayaokafor |
| Role or position | If you have one | Teaching Assistant, ECON 101 |
University at Buffalo's brand guide describes a signature as "a digital business card" and recommends "fewer than eight lines". That is a good ceiling for students too.
Writing your graduation year: "Class of 2027" vs "expected May 2027"
Both are correct. Pick the one that fits the reader:
- "Class of 2027" is short and familiar inside school. It works for high school students and in emails to professors and clubs. The University of Memphis student signature generator uses this format in its example.
- "B.S. Computer Science, expected May 2027" is clearer to recruiters, because it names the degree and the month you become available. Use it when you apply for internships and jobs. It is also how many resumes list education.
Avoid a bare year with no context ("2027"). It can read as a start date, a graduation date or a typo.
Pronouns in your signature
Pronouns are optional. If you add them, put them on the same line as your name, usually in parentheses. The University of Iowa guide says to "place them on the same line as your name so their connection to you is clear", and Illinois suggests parentheses next to your name. Buffalo lists accepted forms such as (she/her), (they/them/their) and (she, her, hers).
Jordan Lee (they/them)
LinkedIn, portfolio and other links
One or two links are plenty. Good choices for students:
- LinkedIn with a custom URL (linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname looks better than the default with random numbers).
- Portfolio for design, writing, film, architecture or development work.
- GitHub for software students.
- ORCID iD or Google Scholar for grad students and PhD candidates with publications.
Skip personal Instagram, TikTok or gaming handles unless they are part of your professional work. Some schools go further: Buffalo asks that signature links point to buffalo.edu pages and that social accounts be university-affiliated or used mainly for your professional expertise. Text links are also safer than icons there, since Buffalo asks for social accounts "in text only, without icons".
What universities actually require (check your own school)
Before designing anything, look up your school's brand or marketing office page. Search for "[your school] email signature". Here is what a few US universities say, as of October 2026:
- University at Buffalo: no logos, graphics or stationery backgrounds; no quotations or personal statements, because they "may be misconstrued as the university's official position"; Arial or Georgia for rich text; fewer than eight lines. The page is written for faculty and staff, but it applies to messages sent from a buffalo.edu account.
- Texas A&M University: Open Sans or Arial, 11 pt, black. No personal quotes, logos, icons or images (JPG, PNG or SVG), and no confidentiality statements, because "any correspondence from a tamu.edu address is subject to open record requests."
- University of Iowa: "Badges and unique graphics are not permitted", and "inspirational messages or other quotations are not appropriate". Arial 10 pt in black.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: has a dedicated "Student Email Signature" section. Students copy a template (the signature generator is only for faculty and staff) and fill in their details.
- University of Memphis: runs a student signature generator with a Student logo option and fields for classification and major, anticipated graduation date and optional pronouns. It says "additional text within the signature area is prohibited" and the template "cannot be altered".
Not every school rule covers you. The University of Maryland's email guidelines, for example, state that they "do not apply to emails sent between colleagues, faculty and student correspondence". So the rules vary a lot: some schools give students a ready template, some ban logos, some say nothing about students at all.
Practical rule: if your school publishes a student template, use it for your school account. If it publishes rules only for staff, follow the spirit of them (no quotes, no graphics, short). If you also work for the university as a TA or research assistant, the staff template may apply to you for that role.
Student email signature examples by stage
Each example below has a plain-text version you can copy. Plain text works everywhere, and it is the safest choice when your school bans graphics.
High school student email signature
High school students mostly email teachers, coaches, counselors, and college admissions or scholarship offices. Keep it to three or four lines.
What to include: name, school, graduation year, and optionally one role (team captain, club president, a job). What to skip: home address, date of birth, phone number (unless you are applying for a job or scholarship and want calls).
Ava Martinez
Lincoln High School, Class of 2027
Captain, Varsity Debate
For college applications, use a personal address you will keep after graduation day, because admissions offices may email you for months. Something like ava.martinez@gmail.com, never a nickname or a joke address.
Ava Martinez
Lincoln High School, Class of 2027
ava.martinez@gmail.com | (555) 010-0187
|
College student email signature (undergraduate)
Your main readers are professors, TAs, advisors and campus offices. They want to know which class and program you are in.
Daniel Kim (he/him)
B.A. Psychology, Class of 2027
University of Example
dkim@example.edu
When you email a professor about a specific course, mention the course and section in the body of the email, not the signature. Your signature stays the same for every message.
If you hold a campus role, add one line:
Daniel Kim (he/him)
B.A. Psychology, Class of 2027
Resident Assistant, North Hall
University of Example
|
|
Graduate student email signature
Grad students write to faculty in other departments, conference organizers, journal editors and collaborators outside the school. Your program, your lab and your role matter more than a graduation year.
Priya Raman
M.S. Candidate, Environmental Engineering
Water Quality Lab | University of Example
praman@example.edu | priyaraman.com
A teaching or research role belongs in the signature because people need it to route your email:
Priya Raman
Graduate Teaching Assistant, CEE 210
M.S. Environmental Engineering
University of Example
PhD student and PhD candidate email signature
"PhD student" and "PhD candidate" are not the same thing at most US schools. A candidate has passed qualifying exams. Use the title your program uses for you. Do not write "Dr." until you have the degree.
Samuel Osei
PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology
University of Example
Research: housing policy, urban inequality
ORCID: 0000-0000-0000-0000 | samuelosei.com
The "Research" line helps when you write to people who do not know you (conference panels, potential collaborators, postdoc contacts). Keep it under ten words.
Jane Cooper Owner, Cooper Plumbing |
Email signature for internship and job applications
This is where your signature works hardest. A recruiter may forward your email to a hiring manager who has never seen your resume. The signature should let them reach you and find your work in one click.
Add: degree and expected graduation month, phone, LinkedIn, and a portfolio or GitHub link if your field uses one. Keep out: GPA (put it on your resume, where it has context), a list of every club, and quotes.
Lucia Ferreira
B.S. Computer Science, expected May 2027
University of Example
(555) 010-0163 | lucia.ferreira@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/luciaferreira | github.com/lferreira
Marcus Bell
B.F.A. Graphic Design, expected December 2026
University of Example
(555) 010-0119 | marcusbell.design
|
|
Email signature for job seekers who just graduated
Once you graduate, switch from "expected" to the finished degree and drop "Class of":
Lucia Ferreira
B.S. Computer Science, University of Example (2027)
(555) 010-0163 | linkedin.com/in/luciaferreira
Use a personal address for the job hunt after graduation. Schools handle alumni accounts differently: some keep them, some convert them, some close them after a while. You do not want a recruiter's offer email landing in an inbox you can no longer open. Check your school's IT page for its alumni email policy.
School email or personal email?
Use both, for different jobs:
- School email (.edu) for anything school-related: professors, advisors, campus offices, financial aid, and internship applications while you are enrolled. It proves you are a current student, and some campus systems only accept it.
- Personal email for college applications (high school students), scholarships that last beyond graduation, and job searches that may run past your last semester.
The personal address should be some version of your name: firstname.lastname@gmail.com, firstinitial.lastname@outlook.com and so on. If your name is taken, add a middle initial rather than a number like your birth year.
You can set up a different signature for each account. Gmail and Outlook both let you keep several signatures and pick one per account.
What to leave out of a student email signature
- Quotes, mottos and slogans. Buffalo, Iowa and Texas A&M all say no. Even where it is allowed, a quote is the line most likely to land badly with a stranger.
- Your student ID number. Every recipient sees it, including anyone your email gets forwarded to. Type it in the message body only when an office asks for it.
- Home address and date of birth. Nobody needs them in every email.
- Your school's logo, unless the school allows it. Logos are trademarks. Buffalo and Texas A&M ban them in signatures; Memphis provides an approved Student logo. If in doubt, leave it out.
- Large images and animated GIFs. They may show up as attachments or blocked images. If you add a photo at all, keep it small (see our guide to email signature size).
- Every link you own. Two links is a good maximum.
- Confidentiality disclaimers. Some public universities ban them because school email can be a public record.
- "Sent from my iPhone". Turn it off or replace it with a short mobile signature (see iPhone email signature).
Formatting tips that keep it readable
- Use a standard font such as Arial, Calibri or Georgia, around 10 to 12 pt. If your school names a font, use that one.
- Put your name in bold. Leave everything else regular weight.
- Use a vertical bar ( | ) to combine short items on one line, for example "Class of 2027 | University of Example". Illinois suggests this to keep signatures concise.
- Stick to black or dark gray text, plus one accent color at most.
- Check it on your phone. Long lines wrap, and a signature that looked tidy on a laptop can turn into seven ragged lines on a small screen.
For more layouts, browse our email signature examples, and when you write the closing line above your signature, pick one from our list of email sign-offs.
How to create a student email signature with Signguin
If you want something more polished than plain text, for example for job applications from your personal address, you can build one in the Signguin generator in about two minutes.
- Go to the Signguin generator and type your email address. With a personal address (gmail.com and similar), type your website or start from scratch.
- Fill in your name, program, graduation year and links.
- Pick a design and check the live preview on phone and desktop, in light and dark mode.
- Install it: copy and paste into Outlook, Apple Mail and others, or use the direct install button for Gmail.
What the free plan covers, so you know before you start:
- Free, no sign-up, no credit card: three designs (Classic, Simple and Local pro), every install option, and a small "Made with Signguin" link at the bottom of the signature.
- Premium (one-time payment, no subscription): all 23 designs including the student design, your photo, CTA buttons, removal of the "Made with" link, and saving to edit later.
For most students, the free plan is enough: a name, program, year and links look best in a clean layout anyway.
Two honest caveats. If you type your school email, Signguin reads your school's website and may load its logo and colors. That is fine where your school allows its logo, but if your school bans logos in signatures (Buffalo and Texas A&M do), choose No logo in the editor before you install, or use one of the plain-text examples above. And if your school's template says no additional text is allowed, the free plan's "Made with Signguin" line counts as additional text, so use your school's own template for your school account.
Works in Gmail, Outlook & Apple Mail
How to add your signature in Gmail and Outlook
- Gmail on a computer: Settings (gear icon) > See all settings, then scroll to the Signature section on the General tab. Paste your signature, choose it as the default for new emails and replies, then click Save Changes at the bottom. Gmail allows up to 10,000 characters. Full steps with screenshots: how to change your Gmail signature.
- New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web (which most school Microsoft 365 accounts use): Settings > Accounts > Signatures.
- Classic Outlook for Windows: File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
Full steps for every Outlook version: how to add a signature in Outlook. On your phone, the Outlook app keeps its own separate signature: see Outlook mobile signature.
FAQ
What should a college student put in an email signature?
Your full name, your degree or major, your graduation year, and your school. Add pronouns if you want, a campus role if you have one, and a LinkedIn or portfolio link when you are looking for internships or jobs. Keep it to five lines or fewer and skip quotes, images and your student ID. If your school publishes a student template, use it for your school account.
Should I put "Class of 2027" or "expected May 2027"?
Use "Class of 2027" for school-related email and as a high school student. Use "B.S. Biology, expected May 2027" (your degree plus the month) for internships and job applications, because recruiters want to know which degree you will have and when you can start. Both are correct; pick the one your reader needs.
Can I use my university's logo in my email signature?
Only if your school allows it. Logos are trademarks, and rules differ. University at Buffalo and Texas A&M do not allow logos in email signatures, while the University of Memphis offers an approved Student logo through its signature generator. Search for "[your school] email signature" to find your school's brand guidelines before adding one.
Should students include pronouns in their email signature?
It is your choice. Every school guide we checked that mentions pronouns treats them as optional. If you include them, put them on the same line as your name, usually in parentheses, such as "Jordan Lee (they/them)". University guides from Iowa, Illinois and Buffalo all describe this placement.
Should I use my school email or personal email for job applications?
While you are enrolled, a school email shows you are a current student and is a good choice. If your job search may continue after graduation, use a professional personal address (firstname.lastname@gmail.com), because some schools close or change student accounts after you leave. Either way, add the same signature to both accounts.
What should a high school student email signature look like?
Three lines is enough: your name, your school with your class year, and optionally one role such as team captain or club president. For college and scholarship applications, write from a personal email you will keep after graduation and add your phone number if you want calls. Leave out your home address and birth date.
Do PhD students put "Dr." or "PhD" in their signature?
No, not until the degree is conferred. Use "PhD Student" or "PhD Candidate" (if you have passed your qualifying exams, depending on your program's terms) followed by your department and university. A short research-interests line and an ORCID iD or personal academic website are useful additions for emails to people outside your school.