MLA style does not require a title page. Instead, the first page of your paper opens with a heading block — your name, instructor's name, course title, and date — followed by the centered title and then the body text. This format is one of the clearest differences between MLA and styles like APA or Chicago, which use separate title pages.
Students often search for "MLA title page" because they confuse MLA's format with APA's — or because their instructor has requested a cover page that deviates from MLA's standard. This guide covers both the standard first-page format and the non-standard title page, so you're prepared either way.
The Standard MLA First Page
MLA's default first page includes everything on a single page — no separate cover sheet. Here is the standard layout from top to bottom:
Running Header
In the upper-right corner, 0.5 inches from the top:
González 1
Your last name and the page number, right-aligned, in the same font as the body text. For detailed instructions on setting this up, see MLA Header & Page Numbers.
Heading Block
Starting at the top-left margin (1 inch from the top, 1 inch from the left), double-spaced:
Elena González
Professor Whitfield
English 102
15 April 2026
Format rules:
- Left-aligned — not centered, not indented
- Double-spaced — same spacing as the rest of the paper
- Same font and size as the body text
- Date format: Day Month Year (not Month Day, Year). Write "15 April 2026," not "April 15, 2026"
- Instructor's name: Use the title they prefer — "Professor," "Dr.," "Ms.," "Mr." — followed by their last name
Title
Centered on the line immediately after the date:
The Architecture of Memory in Toni Morrison's Beloved
Title rules:
- Centered on the page
- Title case — capitalize all principal words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs). Don't capitalize articles, prepositions, or conjunctions unless they're the first word.
- Same font and size as the body text — no bold, no larger type, no underline
- No quotation marks around your own title (unless your title itself contains a quoted title)
- Italicize titles of other works within your title: Beloved, Hamlet, The New York Times
- No period at the end of the title
Body Text
The body text begins on the next double-spaced line after the title. Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches.
Title Formatting — Special Cases
Title Contains Another Work's Title
If your paper's title includes the title of a book, film, or other work, format the embedded title in italics:
Racial Identity and Self-Discovery in The Bluest Eye
If it includes a short work title (poem, short story, article), use quotation marks:
Metaphor and Mortality in Keats's "Ode to a Nightingale"
Title Contains a Quotation
If your title includes a direct quotation, enclose the quoted portion in quotation marks:
"A Room of One's Own" and the Economics of Creative Freedom
Subtitle
Separate a title and subtitle with a colon and a space. Capitalize the first word of the subtitle:
Sound and Silence: The Role of Music in Morrison's Fiction
Title Is a Question
End with a question mark — no period after it:
Can Literature Change Political Attitudes?
When Your Instructor Requires a Title Page
MLA's handbook does not prescribe a title page format, so if your instructor requires one, follow their specific guidelines. If they simply say "include a title page" without further guidance, a standard academic cover page looks like this:
- Center all text vertically and horizontally on the page
- The content typically includes:
Your Paper Title
Your Name
Instructor's Name
Course Name and Number
Date
- Double-space all lines
- Same font and size as the body text
- Do not number this page — page 1 starts on the next page (the first page of body text)
Title Page for a Group Project
Group projects sometimes require a title page listing all members. Center the elements and list each group member's name on a separate line:
Narrative Voice in Postcolonial Fiction
Elena González
Marcus Chen
Priya Nair
Professor Whitfield
English 250
15 April 2026
Student Paper vs. Published Work
MLA doesn't formally distinguish "student" and "professional" papers the way APA does. However, there are practical differences:
| Element | Student paper | Published work (article, chapter) |
|---|---|---|
| First page format | Heading block with instructor, course, date | Varies by publisher |
| Title page | Not standard (unless instructor requires) | Varies by publisher |
| Running header | Last name + page number | Varies by publisher |
| Byline | In heading block | Under the title or at end of article |
If you're submitting to a journal or publication, follow the publisher's submission guidelines — not MLA's student paper format.
Common First-Page Mistakes
- Adding a separate title page when MLA doesn't require one. Unless your instructor asks for it, don't include one. MLA's standard format is the heading block on page 1.
- Wrong order in the heading block. It's always: your name → instructor's name → course → date. Switching the instructor and course is a common error.
- Wrong date format. MLA uses day-month-year: "15 April 2026," not "April 15, 2026."
- Bolding or enlarging the title. Your title should be in the same font and size as the body text. Don't make it bold, don't increase the font size, and don't underline it.
- Putting quotation marks around the title. Unless the title itself contains a quoted phrase or short work title, it should not be in quotation marks.
- Forgetting the running header on page 1. Your last name and page number appear in the upper-right corner on every page — including the first.
- Skipping the heading block when using a title page. If your instructor requires a title page, you typically omit the heading block from the body text page — but check with your instructor, because practices vary.
What's Next
Now that your first page is formatted correctly, make sure the rest of your paper follows MLA standards:
- MLA Header & Page Numbers — step-by-step setup in Word and Google Docs
- MLA Format Paper — the complete layout guide for margins, spacing, and body text
- MLA Format Example Paper — see the first page in context within a full annotated paper
With Archivero, you can concentrate on writing your argument instead of formatting — add sources to your library, and MLA Works Cited entries are generated automatically, ready to paste into your paper.
