Email Signature for Students: Templates and Examples

An email signature for students is a block of text and contact details that appears at the bottom of every email, identifying who you are, where you study, and how to reach you. A strong student signature includes your full name, university name, major or program, graduation year, and one link such as a LinkedIn profile or portfolio. It helps professors, recruiters, and peers take you seriously from the first email.

Most students skip their email signature entirely or cobble together something that looks like a high school project. That is a missed opportunity. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), professionalism and communication skills rank among the top competencies employers evaluate in entry-level candidates. Your email signature is one of the simplest ways to demonstrate both. A LinkedIn survey found that 87% of recruiters use email at some stage of the hiring process, which means your signature will be seen during the moments that matter most.

This guide covers what to include, shows examples for every type of student, walks through setup in Gmail and Outlook, and provides ready-to-use templates you can copy today.

What Should a Student Email Signature Include

Your email signature should communicate who you are and how to reach you without overwhelming the reader. Here is what to include, in order of importance.

Essential Elements

Element	Why It Matters	Example
Full name	Identity	Alex Chen
University	Credibility	University of Michigan
Major/Program	Context	B.S. Computer Science
Graduation year	Timeline	Class of 2027
Email	Contact	achen@umich.edu
Phone number	Direct contact	+1 (555) 234-5678
LinkedIn URL	Professional profile	linkedin.com/in/alexchen

Optional Elements

• Portfolio or personal website - especially valuable for design, engineering, and writing students
• Student organization role - if relevant to the recipient (e.g., President, Debate Club when emailing about leadership)
• Relevant certifications - AWS, Google Analytics, or similar credentials that add weight
• Pronouns - increasingly expected in academic and professional settings

What to Leave Out

• Inspirational quotes
• GPA (unless specifically requested)
• Multiple social media links
• Animated GIFs or large images
• Political or religious statements
• Your high school information

Email signature for students best practice: Keep your signature under five lines of text. Include your name, university, major, graduation year, and one link. That is enough to establish credibility without cluttering every email you send.

Student Email Signature Examples

Every student situation calls for a slightly different approach. Here are five examples covering the most common scenarios.

Undergraduate Student

The most common student signature. Clean, simple, and focused on your academic identity.

Why it works: The major and university appear on the same line for quick scanning. The graduation year gives recipients immediate context about your experience level. One link keeps it clean.

Graduate Student

Graduate students often have research interests, teaching roles, or lab affiliations worth including.

Why it works: Lab affiliation signals your research community. Google Scholar replaces LinkedIn because published work matters more at this level. The title "Ph.D. Candidate" communicates stage in the program.

PhD Candidate

For doctoral students who teach, publish, and attend conferences, the signature needs to reflect multiple roles.

Why it works: Department and university get their own lines because both matter in academic correspondence. A personal website consolidates research papers, CV, and teaching materials in one link.

Student Intern

Interns need to represent both their school and the company they are working for.

Why it works: The company name comes first because you are representing that organization during your internship. Your university follows to provide context. Use the company email domain, not your .edu address, for work communications.

Recent Graduate

You have graduated but have not started your first full-time role yet. Bridge the gap with a forward-looking signature.

Why it works: The graduation year confirms your status. The portfolio link shows what you can do. Keep using your .edu email while you still have access, as it carries institutional credibility.

For more examples across different industries and roles, see our complete email signature examples guide.

How to Set Up Your Student Email Signature

Setting up your signature takes less than five minutes. Here is how to do it in the three email clients students use most.

Gmail

1. Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right
2. Click See all settings
3. Scroll down to the Signature section
4. Click Create new and name it (e.g., "University Signature")
5. Paste your signature text into the editor
6. Format your name in bold, keep everything else in regular weight
7. Set the font to Arial or Helvetica at size 10-12
8. Under Signature defaults, select your new signature for both new emails and replies
9. Click Save Changes at the bottom

Tip: Gmail strips some formatting when pasting from other sources. Type your signature directly in the Gmail editor or use a plain text version first, then format.

Outlook (Microsoft 365)

1. Open Outlook and go to Settings (gear icon)
2. Search for "Signature" or navigate to Mail > Compose and reply
3. Click New signature and give it a name
4. Paste or type your signature in the editor
5. Set it as the default for new messages and replies
6. Click Save

Tip: If your university provides Microsoft 365, you may already have Outlook configured. Check whether your IT department has a standard signature template before creating your own.

Apple Mail

1. Open Apple Mail and go to Mail > Settings (or Preferences)
2. Click the Signatures tab
3. Select your email account on the left
4. Click the + button to create a new signature
5. Type or paste your signature in the right panel
6. Uncheck Always match my default message font if you want custom formatting
7. Drag the signature to your email account to assign it

Tip: Apple Mail signatures support basic HTML. For a cleaner result, keep it plain text with line breaks.

For detailed setup instructions with screenshots, see our Gmail signature guide and Outlook signature guide.

Student Email Signature Templates

Copy any of these templates and customize them with your information. Each is designed to work across all email clients.

Template 1: Clean Academic

Best for: undergraduates, general academic correspondence.

[Your Full Name]
[Degree] [Major] | [University Name]
Class of [Year]

[Phone Number]
[University Email]
[LinkedIn URL]

Example:

Template 2: Research-Focused

Best for: graduate students, research assistants, lab members.

[Your Full Name]
[Program/Title] | [Department]
[University Name] | [Lab Name]

[Email]
[Phone Number]
[Google Scholar or ResearchGate URL]

Example:

Template 3: Career-Ready

Best for: students actively applying for jobs or internships.

[Your Full Name]
[Degree] [Major] | [University Name], [Grad Year]

[Phone Number]
[Email]
[LinkedIn URL]
Portfolio: [URL]

Example:

Template 4: Student Leader

Best for: students with leadership roles in organizations, clubs, or student government.

[Your Full Name]
[Leadership Title] | [Organization]
[Degree] [Major] | [University Name]

[Phone Number]
[Email]
[LinkedIn or Org URL]

Example:

Browse more templates and create yours in minutes with Signkit's template library.

Common Student Email Signature Mistakes

These are the errors students make most frequently. Avoiding them puts you ahead of the majority of your peers.

1. Using a Casual Email Address

Sending emails from sk8erboi2003@gmail.com or partyqueen@yahoo.com instantly undermines your credibility. Use your university email for academic correspondence. For professional outreach, create a simple Gmail address with your name.

2. Including Too Much Information

Listing every club, every class, every honor, and every social media account creates visual clutter. Recruiters spend seconds scanning an email. If your signature is longer than your message, something is wrong.

3. Skipping the Signature Entirely

No signature means the recipient has to search for your contact information. Worse, they may not know what university you attend or what you study. A missing signature signals that you do not pay attention to professional details.

4. Using Your High School Credentials

Once you are in college, your high school valedictorian status or varsity letters no longer belong in your signature. Update your information to reflect your current academic stage.

5. Inconsistent Formatting

Mixing fonts, colors, and sizes makes your signature look thrown together. Pick one font (Arial, Helvetica, or your university's brand font), one size, and one color. Consistency signals professionalism.

6. Adding Quotes or Emojis

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" under your name does not impress professors or hiring managers. Neither do rocket ship emojis after your title. Keep it factual.

7. Forgetting to Update It

Your signature from freshman year should not follow you to graduation. Update it every semester or whenever your role, major, or contact information changes.

For a deeper look at what to avoid, read our guide on email signature mistakes.

When to Update Your Student Email Signature

Your signature is not a set-and-forget element. Here are the moments when you should update it.

Academic Milestones

• Declaring or changing your major - update the degree and program fields
• Starting a new academic year - verify everything is still accurate
• Graduating - switch from "Class of 2027" to "B.S. Computer Science, 2027"
• Starting graduate school - add your new program, department, and university

Professional Changes

• Landing an internship - add the company name and your intern title
• Finishing an internship - remove the company, keep the experience on LinkedIn
• Getting a student leadership role - add if relevant to your correspondence
• Starting a full-time job - build an entirely new professional signature

Contact Updates

• New phone number - update immediately
• Losing .edu email access - switch to a professional personal email
• New LinkedIn URL - update the link if you customize your URL
• Building a portfolio - add the link when it is ready to share

Seasonal Adjustments

Season	What to Update
Fall	New academic year, new courses or roles
Spring	Internship applications, updated resume link
Summer	Internship or research position details
Post-graduation	Remove student status, add professional title

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use my university email or personal email in my signature?

Use your university email for all academic communication, including emails to professors, advisors, and campus organizations. For professional outreach like job applications, your .edu address still works well because it verifies your student status. Create a clean personal email as a backup for when you lose .edu access after graduation. Avoid using informal personal addresses in any professional context.

Can I include my GPA in my email signature?

Generally, no. Your GPA belongs on your resume, not in your email signature. Including it in every email can come across as insecure or overly eager. The only exception is if a specific application process asks you to include it in correspondence, which is rare. Let your communication skills and the substance of your emails speak for your academic ability.

How is a student email signature different from a professional one?

Student signatures emphasize your university, program, and graduation timeline rather than a company and job title. Professional signatures typically include a company logo, direct phone line, and department. Student signatures replace those elements with your field of study, academic credentials, and a portfolio or LinkedIn link. The core structure is the same, but the content reflects where you are in your career.

Do I need a different signature for internship applications versus academic emails?

Yes, consider maintaining two signatures. For academic emails, lead with your university, major, and department. For internship and job applications, lead with your degree and graduation year followed by relevant skills or a portfolio link. Gmail and Outlook both allow multiple saved signatures, so switching between them takes one click. Tailoring your signature shows you understand audience and context.

Should I add social media links to my student email signature?

Only add LinkedIn. It is the one social platform that is universally appropriate in professional and academic email. Skip Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and other personal platforms unless your field specifically values them (e.g., a journalism student linking to a published portfolio on Twitter). Every link you add competes for attention, so keep it to the one that helps the recipient learn about your professional qualifications.

Key Takeaways

• Include five core elements: full name, university, major, graduation year, and one professional link such as LinkedIn
• Keep your signature under five lines to maintain readability across all email clients and devices
• Update your signature at every transition: new major, new internship, new academic year, and graduation
• Use your .edu email for academic and professional correspondence while you have access to it
• Maintain two signature versions if you regularly email both professors and potential employers

Create Your Student Email Signature

A professional email signature takes five minutes to set up and works for you in every email you send. Whether you are emailing a professor about office hours or reaching out to a recruiter about an internship, the right signature makes a strong first impression.

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