The Best Examples of Chicago Style Title Page Examples (With Real Templates)

Real examples of Chicago style title page examples for students

Let’s start exactly where you need help most: with real, filled-in examples of Chicago style title page examples you can model. These follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, which is still the standard for 2024–2025.

In Chicago style, the title page is usually its own separate page, with the text centered and double-spaced. Most instructors want:

• The paper title (and subtitle, if you have one)
• Your name
• Course name and number (for student papers)
• Instructor’s name
• Date

Some colleges tweak this slightly, but these examples include the most common setups.

Example of a basic Chicago-style title page (college essay)

Imagine you’re writing a short history essay. A simple Chicago-style title page might look like this:

The Rise of Industrial Cities in the United States

Jordan M. Rivera

HIST 210: U.S. History Since 1865

Professor Elaine Thompson

March 15, 2025

Everything is centered, double-spaced, and in a readable font (your instructor will usually prefer 12-point Times New Roman). This is one of the best examples of Chicago style title page examples for a straightforward undergraduate paper.

Example of Chicago title page with subtitle

If your title has a main title and a subtitle, Chicago style stacks them with a colon between them. Here’s an example of a Chicago title page for a research paper:

Digital Protest: Social Media and Political Mobilization
in the 21st Century

Amira L. Patel

POLS 332: Contemporary Political Movements

Dr. Steven McAllister

May 2, 2024

Here, the title is broken into two lines for readability, but it still counts as one title with a subtitle. When you’re looking for examples of Chicago style title page examples that include subtitles, this format is a safe bet.

Example of Chicago style title page for a thesis or capstone

Longer projects like honors theses or capstone papers often need more detail on the title page. Your department might have its own rules, but many follow a Chicago-style layout similar to this:

Negotiating Identity: Second-Generation Immigrants
in Urban American Schools

by
Sofia Martinez

A Senior Thesis Submitted to the Department of Sociology
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts

University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

April 2025

This is one of the best examples of Chicago style title page examples for a thesis-level project. Notice how institutional information is added in a formal way, while the text is still centered and double-spaced.

If you’re doing graduate work, your university’s graduate school guidelines may override Chicago’s general advice. Always check your department’s handbook or a writing center guide, such as those from Purdue OWL or your own university.

Examples include notes & bibliography vs. author-date formats

Chicago has two main systems:

• Notes and Bibliography (often used in history, literature, the arts)
• Author-Date (often used in social sciences, natural sciences)

The title page itself doesn’t change dramatically between the two, but instructors sometimes label the system in the assignment instructions. When you look at examples of Chicago style title page examples online, both systems usually share the same basic title-page layout.

Here’s a notes and bibliography style student paper title page:

Food, Faith, and Fasting: Religious Traditions
and Dietary Practices in the United States

Marcus J. Lee

REL 245: Religion and American Culture

Professor Dana Hughes

October 9, 2024

And here’s an author-date style title page for a sociology paper:

Remote Work and Employee Well-Being
During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Taylor N. Brooks

SOC 301: Sociology of Work

Dr. Karen Wu

April 18, 2024

On the title page, both look almost the same. The difference appears in how you cite sources and format your reference list, which the University of Chicago explains in its official Chicago Manual of Style resources.

More examples of Chicago style title page examples for different subjects

Because you’re likely writing for different classes, it helps to see how the same Chicago rules flex across disciplines.

Example for a literature paper

Haunted Houses and Broken Narrators:
Unreliable Perspectives in Gothic Fiction

Emily R. Johnson

ENGL 325: Gothic Literature

Professor Michael O’Donnell

November 6, 2025

This example of a Chicago style title page shows how you can use a more creative title while still keeping the layout formal.

Example for a psychology or health-related paper

Sleep Deprivation and Academic Performance
Among First-Year College Students

Lauren K. Chen

PSYC 210: Introduction to Psychology

Dr. Rachel Kim

February 12, 2025

If your paper ties into health topics, your instructor may encourage you to use reputable sources like NIH or Mayo Clinic. That doesn’t change the title page format, but it does affect your bibliography.

Example of a Chicago title page for an education research paper

Technology in the Classroom:
Effects of Laptop Use on Student Engagement

David S. Walker

EDU 304: Educational Psychology

Professor Linda Carter

April 3, 2024

These varied examples of Chicago style title page examples should make it easier to picture how your own project might look, whether you’re writing about literature, health, or education.

Formatting rules behind these Chicago style title page examples

Now that you’ve seen several real examples, let’s quickly unpack the pattern they all share. That way, if your instructor tweaks one small detail, you still understand the big picture.

Basic layout

Most Chicago-style student title pages follow this pattern:

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Font: A readable serif font (often Times New Roman, 12 pt)
• Spacing: Double-spaced throughout the page
• Alignment: All text centered horizontally
• No page number on the title page (the first page of text usually starts with page 1)

The Chicago Manual of Style itself focuses more on professional manuscripts and books, but universities and writing centers adapt those rules to student papers. For a solid academic overview, you can explore the Chicago resources at Harvard Library or your campus writing center.

Order of information

Looking back at the best examples of Chicago style title page examples above, you can see a consistent order:

1. Title (and subtitle, if you have one)
2. A bit of space
3. Your name
4. A bit of space
5. Course information (course name and number) – for class papers
6. Instructor’s name – for class papers
7. Date

For theses and dissertations, the block of middle information expands to include your degree, department, and institution.

Capitalization and line breaks

Chicago favors headline-style capitalization for titles:

• Capitalize major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns)
• Lowercase short prepositions and conjunctions (of, in, on, and, but, or) unless they start the title or subtitle

If your title is long, you can break it into two or three lines, as many of the examples of Chicago style title page examples above do. Just keep the lines centered and maintain the same font and size.

2024–2025 trends: what instructors are asking for now

A lot of current assignments blend traditional Chicago rules with newer expectations, especially around digital tools and academic integrity.

Here are a few trends you might encounter in 2024–2025:

Adding a word count or student ID

Some instructors now want a word count or student ID number on the title page. When that happens, it’s usually placed near your name or at the bottom of the page, still centered or sometimes right-aligned, depending on the department.

For example:

Climate Change Communication:
Public Perceptions and Media Framing

Alex J. Morgan (Student ID: 1045729)

COMM 410: Environmental Communication

Dr. Hannah Lopez

Word Count: 3,250

December 1, 2025

This is a modern example of a Chicago style title page that still respects the traditional structure while adding assignment-specific details.

Online submission and PDFs

Many instructors now accept or even prefer PDF submissions through learning management systems. The title page still follows Chicago style, but you need to be sure:

• The fonts embed correctly in the PDF
• The title page appears as page i (or unnumbered) and your main text starts on page 1

Your campus writing or library site, like those from large universities such as Harvard or state university systems, often provide updated guidance on how to export properly formatted PDFs.

How to build your own Chicago-style title page step by step

Using the best examples of Chicago style title page examples we’ve covered, you can build your own title page by following a simple mental checklist.

Start by opening a blank document and setting your margins and font. Then, think in three blocks:

• Top block: Leave the top third of the page mostly blank so the title sits visually in the upper-middle area.
• Middle block: Type your title (and subtitle), centered, headline-style capitalization, double-spaced. Add a blank line, then your name.
• Bottom block: After a bit more space, add your course, instructor, and date, each on its own line.

If your instructor has given you a sample, compare it line by line with the examples of Chicago style title page examples in this guide. You’ll start to see how small the differences really are.

FAQ: Chicago style title page examples

Q: Where can I see more official examples of Chicago style title page examples?
You can’t see many full student title pages directly in the Chicago Manual, but university writing centers provide them. Look at guides from major schools, or resources like Purdue OWL’s Chicago guide, which offers an example of a student paper formatted in Chicago style.

Q: Do I always need a separate title page in Chicago style?
Not always. Some instructors prefer that you put the title at the top of the first page of text instead of using a separate title page. That’s why it’s smart to read the assignment sheet carefully. When in doubt, ask if they want a separate Chicago-style title page.

Q: Is there a specific example of how to format the date?
Chicago style is flexible with dates on student papers. Most of the examples of Chicago style title page examples in this article use the Month Day, Year format (for example, March 15, 2025). Some departments prefer Day Month Year (15 March 2025). Follow your instructor’s preference if they state one.

Q: Should my title page include a running head or header?
Unlike APA, Chicago does not require a running head on the title page for student papers. Your page number usually starts on the first page of the main text. Again, if your department has its own template, that will override the general guideline.

Q: Can I use bold or italics in my Chicago-style title page?
Many instructors like the title in bold, as in several of the best examples of Chicago style title page examples above, but some prefer plain text. Italics are usually reserved for titles of works within your title (for example, The Great Gatsby). When in doubt, keep it simple and ask your instructor.

If you keep this one idea in mind—that every title page is just a variation on the same simple pattern—you’ll find that even the most intimidating assignment becomes manageable. Use these examples of Chicago style title page examples as templates, adjust them to match your professor’s instructions, and you’ll have a clean, professional start to every paper you submit.