What to Include in a Yearbook: 9 Must-Have Sections
A yearbook captures one school year. When it’s done, it should feel like a true record of the students, staff, events, and moments that made that year what it was.
Every school does yearbooks a little differently, but they all tend to include the same core pieces. Use this list as a quick check to make sure nothing important gets missed.
Below are the 9 most important things to include in a yearbook, with notes on key differences where they matter.
1. Photos (The Heart of the Yearbook)
Photos are the heart of every yearbook. If photo coverage is thin, the yearbook will feel thin too, no matter how good the design is.
A well-rounded yearbook includes a mix of:
- Student portraits or group photos
- Event photos
- Club and sports photos
- Candid, everyday moments
Variety matters here. Posed photos are important, but candid photos are needed to best show what school was really like that year. Moments, classroom scenes, and behind-the-scenes. When deciding what to include in a yearbook, the goal is simple: make sure every student, major event, and shared experience is represented somewhere in the book.
2. Student Coverage
Every student should appear somewhere in the yearbook. That usually happens through portraits, class or grade-level photos, activity coverage, and candid shots. The goal isn’t equal space, it’s all about making sure students can find themselves in the book.
Grade-level note
- High school: Individual student portraits are typically expected
- Elementary & middle school: Class or grade-level photo pages are more common
3. School Events
Event pages show what happened outside of regular class days. Assemblies, performances, ceremonies, games, dances, and long-standing school traditions help mark the year and give context to the photos that follow.
4. Clubs, Sports, and Activities
These sections highlight how students spend time outside the classroom and mandatory school events. Clubs, teams, and activities help show school culture and student involvement beyond academics.
Grade-level note
- Elementary: Activities are often grouped together
- Middle & high school: Coverage is usually organized by team or club
5. Staff and Administration
Yearbooks also recognize the teachers, administrators, and staff who support students throughout the year. Staff pages help balance student content and reflect the full school community.
Grade-level note
- Elementary: Group staff photos are common
- Middle & high school: Individual staff photos are more common. A short message from school leadership is often included
6. Milestones and Achievements
Highlights moments that mattered to the students during the year. That might include performances, awards, championships, promotions, or other accomplishments that stood out.
Grade-level note
- High school: Graduation and senior achievements usually play a bigger role
7. Captions and Written Details
Captions, short descriptions, and student quotes explain what’s happening on the page and help future readers understand the moment.
Grade-level note
- High school: Longer captions and student quotes are more common
8. Opening and Closing Pages
Opening and closing pages help the yearbook feel complete. Opening pages often set the tone for the year, while closing pages bring everything to a natural end. Many yearbooks also include helpful tools like a table of contents or index so readers can easily find their names and/or sections.
Grade-level note
- High school: Closing pages may include senior-focused content or an index
9. Consistent Design and Organization
Consistency keeps the yearbook easy to read and enjoyable to flip through.
Using the same layout styles, fonts, spacing, and photo treatment throughout helps the yearbook feel organized and intentional. Design choices are often shaped to school colors, values, or themes.
Extra Content Some Yearbooks Include
These extras show up in many yearbooks, but they aren’t required for every school or grade level.
- Senior highlight sections with messages from parents (high school)
- Autograph pages (middle & high school)
- Theme or feature spreads
- Spotlight pages for special groups or moments
- Pop-culture lookbacks tied to the school year
Strong yearbooks don’t rely on just one type of content. They bring together photos, people, events, and written details to create a clear picture of the year, one that students, parents, and teachers will want to keep and look back on excitedly. Think of it as what you would like to see in a school lookback. Ready to put this checklist to use? Start your yearbook design in our online designer.
