APA Title Page Format Explained:
Student vs Professional Paper (With Examples)

If you are writing a paper for a college course or submitting research for publication, the title page is the first thing your reader sees. Getting it right matters, and the rules are more specific than most students expect. If you have ever searched for what an APA title page looks like, you may have found conflicting information online, because APA format changed significantly with its seventh edition, released in 2019. Older guides still circulate widely, and following outdated instructions is one of the most common formatting mistakes students make.

This guide covers exactly what an APA title page looks like under the current seventh edition rules, including the key differences between the student format and the professional format, so you know which one applies to your paper and what to include in each.

Why APA Has Two Different Title Page Formats

The seventh edition of the APA Publication Manual introduced a formal distinction between student papers and professional papers. Before this change, one set of rules applied to everyone. Now, the format you use depends on the purpose of your paper and the context in which it is being submitted.

Student papers are those written for a course or academic program. Professional papers are those being submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at a professional conference. The two formats share a common structure but differ in several specific elements. Using the wrong format for your context is a common error, particularly among graduate students who are transitioning from coursework to publication.

If you need a more detailed walkthrough of every element of the page, our full APA style title page guide covers each component with additional examples and explanations.

What a Professional APA Title Page Looks Like

The example below is based on a real published research paper and shows every required element of a professional APA title page, with annotations explaining each one.

What an APA Student Title Page Looks Like

The student title page is the format most college students will use for papers submitted in class. It is designed to be straightforward and to include the information an instructor needs to identify and assess your work.

The student title page includes the following elements, in this order from top to bottom:

Paper Title

The title appears in the upper half of the page, centered, and written in bold. It should be in title case, meaning the first letter of each major word is capitalized. APA recommends keeping your title concise and descriptive, ideally no longer than 12 words. Avoid titles that begin with phrases like "A Study of" or "An Investigation into," as these add length without adding meaning.

Author Name

Your full name appears on the line directly below the title, also centered. The standard format is first name, middle initial if you use one, and last name. Do not include titles such as Dr. or degrees such as PhD on a student paper title page.

Institutional Affiliation

This is the name of your college or university, centered on the line below your name. If your institution has a specific department relevant to your paper, you may include the department name on the line above the institution name.

Course Number and Name

On a student paper, you include the course number and full course name as they appear in your institution's course catalog. This element does not appear on professional papers.

Instructor Name

Include your instructor's name as they prefer to be addressed. Check whether they use a title such as Professor or Dr. before their name. This element is also unique to student papers.

Assignment Due Date

The due date of the assignment is included on the student title page in the format your instructor prefers or in the standard month, day, and year format. This element does not appear on professional papers.

Page Number

A page number appears in the top right corner of the header on every page of an APA paper, including the title page. On student papers, you do not include a running head. The page number alone is sufficient in the header.

What an APA Professional Title Page Looks Like

The professional title page is used for manuscripts being submitted for peer review or publication. It includes several elements that do not appear on the student version, and it omits the course-specific information that appears on student papers.

Author Note

Professional papers include an author note at the bottom of the title page. This section contains the author's ORCID iD if they have one, any changes in affiliation that occurred during the research, acknowledgments of financial support or assistance, any disclosures of conflicts of interest, and contact information for the corresponding author. The author note is not used on student papers.

Running Head

Professional papers require a running head, which is an abbreviated version of the paper title that appears in the header on every page. The running head is written in all capital letters and should be no more than 50 characters including spaces. It is left-aligned in the header, with the page number right-aligned on the same line. Student papers do not use a running head. If you are unsure how to format this element correctly, our guide to what a running head is in APA style explains the rules and common mistakes in detail.

Side by Side: Student vs Professional Title Page

The table below summarizes which elements appear on each type of APA title page.

General Formatting Rules That Apply to Both

Whether you are writing a student paper or a professional one, the following formatting rules apply to your APA title page.

Use a standard readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, or 11-point Arial. The entire paper, including the title page, should be double-spaced with no extra space added between paragraphs or sections. All margins should be set to one inch on every side. The title page does not include an abstract or any body text. It stands alone as the first page of your document.

All text on the title page is centered horizontally on the page, with the exception of the running head and page number in the header, which are aligned to the left and right respectively.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even students who are familiar with APA format frequently make the same title page errors. The most common include using sixth edition formatting rules instead of the current seventh edition, adding a running head to a student paper, forgetting to bold the title, including degree credentials after the author name, and centering the page number instead of placing it in the right-aligned header.

Another frequent mistake is treating the title page as an afterthought and formatting it after the rest of the paper is finished, by which point small errors can be easy to overlook. It is worth formatting your title page carefully at the start, using a checklist, so that it does not need to be reworked at the end.

When to Get a Second Set of Eyes

APA format is detailed, and even careful writers miss things. If you are submitting a thesis, dissertation, or paper for publication, having a professional editor review your formatting before submission can save you from corrections that delay the process. Our academic editing service covers APA formatting review alongside substantive editing, so your paper is correct at every level before it reaches your committee or journal.

Formatting errors on a title page do not usually change the quality of the research behind a paper, but they do create an impression before your reader gets to your first paragraph. Getting the basics right from the first page is a straightforward way to present your work with the professionalism it deserves.