English Language and Literature, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 23.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 2,408 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 62 | 448 | $27,447 | $29,202 | $14,745 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 278 | 2,706 | $27,003 | $36,134 | $11,120 2 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,354 | 26,315 | $36,147 | $48,590 | $21,967 458 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 468 | 3,663 | $48,601 | $55,512 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 169 | 969 | $61,156 | $65,831 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 70 | 109 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $36,633 | Data unavailable | $27,000 |
| Florida National University-Main Campus FL · Private, for-profit · 135 graduates measured | $30,465 | $21,826 | $7,500 |
| New Professions Technical Institute FL · Private, for-profit · 78 graduates measured | $29,694 | $29,719 | Data unavailable |
| Interactive College of Technology-Chamblee GA · Private, for-profit · 801 graduates measured | $28,999 | $31,098 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia College VA · Private, for-profit · 513 graduates measured | $25,923 | $28,460 | Data unavailable |
| Interactive College of Technology TX · Private, for-profit · 383 graduates measured | $25,343 | $29,724 | Data unavailable |
| Manhattan School of Computer Technology NY · Private, nonprofit · 106 graduates measured | $21,572 | $20,188 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jacinto Community College TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $38,652 | $45,720 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College NY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $35,330 | $33,103 | Data unavailable |
| Paris Junior College TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $24,511 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowdoin College ME · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $56,516 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Brown University RI · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $56,050 | $73,497 | $9,902 |
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $53,494 | $67,157 | $27,000 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $53,349 | $57,052 | $15,000 |
| Rider University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $53,068 | $51,521 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $52,808 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Boston College MA · Private, nonprofit · 66 graduates measured | $52,401 | $70,141 | $19,000 |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $51,854 | $70,766 | $23,822 |
| Wake Forest University NC · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $51,584 | $77,847 | $19,500 |
| Chapman University CA · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $50,997 | $58,055 | $17,250 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $50,370 | $59,396 | $19,437 |
| Georgetown University DC · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $49,940 | $78,370 | $16,250 |
| Wellesley College MA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $49,650 | $59,865 | Data unavailable |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 26 graduates measured | $49,025 | $60,702 | Data unavailable |
| Saint Anselm College NH · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $48,949 | $57,585 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| National University CA · Private, nonprofit · 92 graduates measured | $85,835 | $66,189 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $64,132 | $67,126 | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $63,325 | $75,807 | Data unavailable |
| Bridgewater State University MA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $63,299 | $62,844 | Data unavailable |
| Sam Houston State University TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $62,500 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Salem State University MA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $62,456 | $69,754 | Data unavailable |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato MN · Public · 30 graduates measured | $60,922 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The College of New Jersey NJ · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,780 | $66,123 | Data unavailable |
| Salisbury University MD · Public · 17 graduates measured | $58,827 | $58,759 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $58,082 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston MA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $57,280 | $64,893 | Data unavailable |
| East Carolina University NC · Public · 32 graduates measured | $56,882 | $50,883 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $55,662 | $61,735 | Data unavailable |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington NC · Public · 20 graduates measured | $55,470 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 175 graduates measured | $55,235 | $65,658 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray State University KY · Public · 29 graduates measured | $78,226 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $76,595 | $72,454 | Data unavailable |
| Purdue University-Main Campus IN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $63,796 | $66,586 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $63,598 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $63,028 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $61,308 | $66,460 | Data unavailable |
| Florida State University FL · Public · 30 graduates measured | $60,494 | $60,363 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $59,139 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oklahoma State University-Main Campus OK · Public · 20 graduates measured | $56,094 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $55,356 | $68,298 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to English Language and Literature, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $78,760 | 0.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Proofreaders and copy markers | $51,120 | -0.9% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 23.0101 English Language and Literature, General