English Language and Literature, General
Offered at 1,947 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 30 | $28,999 | $32,280 | $14,745 |
| Associate | 215 | $35,330 | $38,279 | — |
| Bachelor's | 1,176 | $36,768 | $51,077 | $21,967 |
| Master's | 359 | $51,422 | $60,275 | — |
| Doctoral | 137 | $62,168 | $70,805 | — |
| Graduate certificate | 30 | — | — | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $28,999, versus $36,768 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | WI | $36,633 | — | $27,000 |
| 2 | Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee | GA | $28,999 | $34,785 | — |
| 3 | Interactive College of Technology | TX | $25,343 | $33,324 | — |
| 4 | New Professions Technical Institute | FL | $29,694 | $32,960 | — |
| 5 | Columbia College | VA | $25,923 | $31,600 | — |
| 6 | Florida National University-Main Campus | FL | $30,465 | $27,450 | $7,500 |
| 7 | Manhattan School of Computer Technology | NY | $21,572 | $24,199 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Mesa College | CA | — | $51,018 | — |
| 2 | San Jacinto Community College | TX | $38,652 | $48,955 | — |
| 3 | Cerritos College | CA | — | $47,515 | — |
| 4 | El Camino Community College District | CA | — | $42,807 | — |
| 5 | San Diego City College | CA | — | $40,021 | — |
| 6 | CUNY LaGuardia Community College | NY | — | $39,122 | — |
| 7 | Central New Mexico Community College | NM | — | $39,096 | — |
| 8 | Austin Community College District | TX | — | $38,326 | $14,794 |
| 9 | South Texas College | TX | — | $38,232 | — |
| 10 | Pasadena City College | CA | — | $37,582 | — |
| 11 | Fresno City College | CA | — | $33,976 | — |
| 12 | College of the Canyons | CA | — | $33,735 | — |
| 13 | San Antonio College | TX | — | $33,559 | — |
| 14 | College of Southern Nevada | NV | — | $32,118 | — |
| 15 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | NY | $35,330 | $32,007 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale University | CT | $46,048 | $94,178 | — |
| 2 | Wake Forest University | NC | $51,584 | $87,998 | $19,500 |
| 3 | Stanford University | CA | — | $87,626 | — |
| 4 | Colgate University | NY | $49,025 | $79,744 | — |
| 5 | Seattle University | WA | — | $79,677 | — |
| 6 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $45,432 | $79,617 | $23,000 |
| 7 | Georgetown University | DC | $49,940 | $79,415 | $16,250 |
| 8 | Trinity College | CT | $40,402 | $78,661 | $21,500 |
| 9 | Howard University | DC | $44,790 | $77,914 | $25,750 |
| 10 | Providence College | RI | $43,415 | $76,003 | $27,000 |
| 11 | University of Southern California | CA | — | $75,195 | $21,125 |
| 12 | University of Notre Dame | IN | $45,787 | $74,592 | $19,000 |
| 13 | Lafayette College | PA | $40,303 | $73,511 | $15,000 |
| 14 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $35,293 | $73,372 | $20,833 |
| 15 | Boston College | MA | $52,401 | $73,263 | $19,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National University | CA | $85,835 | $76,712 | — |
| 2 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | — | $73,451 | — |
| 3 | Middlebury College | VT | $63,325 | $72,613 | — |
| 4 | California State University-Northridge | CA | $55,662 | $72,584 | — |
| 5 | Salem State University | MA | $62,456 | $71,348 | — |
| 6 | Portland State University | OR | — | $70,664 | — |
| 7 | George Mason University | VA | $64,132 | $69,322 | — |
| 8 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $55,235 | $69,068 | — |
| 9 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | $55,235 | $69,068 | — |
| 10 | Mercy University | NY | $49,067 | $67,937 | — |
| 11 | Boston College | MA | — | $66,966 | — |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Boston | MA | $57,280 | $66,685 | — |
| 13 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | — | $66,195 | — |
| 14 | The University of Texas at Tyler | TX | $45,364 | $66,070 | — |
| 15 | Iowa State University | IA | $43,026 | $65,228 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | — | $84,033 | — |
| 2 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | — | $78,645 | — |
| 3 | Murray State University | KY | $78,226 | — | — |
| 4 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | — | $76,868 | — |
| 5 | University of Missouri-Columbia | MO | — | $76,511 | — |
| 6 | Georgia State University | GA | — | $74,461 | — |
| 7 | Fordham University | NY | — | $73,170 | — |
| 8 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | — | $73,064 | — |
| 9 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | PA | $76,595 | $71,909 | — |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | $63,598 | $69,701 | — |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $55,356 | $68,899 | — |
| 12 | University of Georgia | GA | — | $67,613 | — |
| 13 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $63,796 | $64,385 | — |
| 14 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $63,028 | — | — |
| 15 | University of Iowa | IA | — | $62,916 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do english language and literature, general graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in english language and literature, general reports median earnings of $36,768. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
