The APA 7 Student Title Page: Six Items in Order

Every paper in the APA format starts with a title page. Whatever you're writing, from a short essay to a full literature review, the title page is your starting point.

The six items on the title page

For student papers in the APA format, six things go on the title page:

1. The title of your paper
2. Your name
3. Your school or institution
4. The course name
5. The instructor's name
6. The due date

If your professor asks for something different, like a student ID or an assignment number, add it. Your professor's instructions always come first.

How to format each one

All six items go in the top half of the page, centered, each on a separate line, double-spaced like the rest of the paper. Here's each one:

• Paper title. Use Title Case: capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle, every major word, and any word of four letters or more. Short words like in, of, and and stay lowercase unless they come first. Keep the title concise and relevant; about one line is ideal. Make it bold.
• Your name. Your first name, your middle initial if you use one, and your last name. Leave off titles and degrees like Dr., PhD, or RN, but include a suffix like Jr. or III if you use one.
• School or institution. The full name of the school you attend, or of the institution where the research was done.
• Course name. The course prefix and number, then the title, usually with a colon between them: PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology.
• Instructor's name. Write it the way your professor asks: Dr. Smith, Professor Jones, or however they prefer.
• Due date. The full date, written Month Day, Year: April 5, 2025.

The header and page number

The only thing in the header is the page number, at the top right, in the same font as the body of your paper (here, 12-point Times New Roman). If you followed the page setup lesson, that's already done, and the title page is page 1.

A finished title page

Here is the title page from the sample Bigfoot paper used throughout APA 101. Notice how much of the page stays empty: everything sits in the top half.

1. Page numberTop right, the only thing in the header. The title page is page 1.
2. The titleBold, centered, Title Case, three or four lines down from the top margin.
3. Your nameOne blank double-spaced line below the title. First name, middle initial if you use one, last name.
4. SchoolThe full name, centered on its own line.
5. CoursePrefix and number, a colon, then the course title.
6. InstructorThe way your instructor prefers.
7. Due dateMonth Day, Year.

Quick checklist

• Title is bold, concise, and in Title Case
• All six items are centered in the top half of the page
• Name is first name, middle initial, and last name, with no degrees or titles
• Course line shows the prefix, number, and title
• Instructor's name is written the way they prefer
• Due date is Month Day, Year
• Page number is at the top right of the header

How PERRLA builds the title page

PERRLA builds the title page for you. A short form asks for the six items when you create the paper, and the title page appears in the right order, with the bold title, the spacing, and the page number in place.

Want to see it happen? Getting started with PERRLA for Word walks through creating a paper, title page included.

Related APA 101 lessons

• Basic page setup: margins, font, double spacing, indents, and the page number.
• Body pages: the repeated title, paragraph formatting, and no Introduction heading.
• Headings: the five levels: all five levels, and the rules for using them.
• Final checks and common mistakes: the last pass before you submit.
• All 18 lessons in APA 101