Literature Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Literature maps to BLS occupations averaging about $141,143, with roughly 7,040 workers nationwide in those roles. About 783 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 61%.
Key Statistics
Literature: what the data shows
Common questions about literature degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a literature degree?
A Literature program is classified under NCES CIP 00.2314 in the 00.0023 field family (00.23).
IPEDS counted 783 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of literature degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.23 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Creative Writing (CIP 00.2305)
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (CIP 00.2313)
How long does it take to get a literature degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2314 in our file:
- 74 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in literature?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Writing, Speaking, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a literature degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Literature to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 59,590 | $78,270 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 21,170 | $77,010 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a literature degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,341 and median net price is $20,226.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Literature and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,341 Median In-State Public
$40,352 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Literature majors are, on average, $9,341 for in-state public colleges, and $40,352 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Literature programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
783 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Literature from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Literature.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 68,619 |
| 2 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 3 | Michigan State University | MI | 40,243 |
| 4 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | 36,571 |
| 5 | University of California-San Diego | CA | 33,787 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Literature programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 2 | Lee College | TX | $2,166 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $2,322 |
| 4 | Glendale Community College | AZ | $2,358 |
| 5 | GateWay Community College | AZ | $2,358 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Literature programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $2,446 |
| 2 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $4,156 |
| 3 | New Mexico State University-Dona Ana | NM | $4,621 |
| 4 | Oklahoma City Community College | OK | $5,135 |
| 5 | Erie Community College | NY | $6,358 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Literature programs.
Graduation Rates
61.44% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
61.34% Average Graduation Rate
124 Institutions Reporting
51.18% - 72.20% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Literature programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.23 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Creative Writing CIP 00.2305
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies CIP 00.2313
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.2314 in the survey year used in our extract (74 total across levels below).
- 74 Master's (100.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $141,143. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Literature graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $145,212 | 59,590 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,691 | 21,170 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$140,538 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Literature majors is $140,538.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Literature majors.
Occupations by Share
7,040 2023 Workforce
The number of Literature graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Literature by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Literature in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Literature.
Age distribution for Literature degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Literature degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Literature degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Literature are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Literature.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Literature field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Literature majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Literature majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Literature majors.
About
Literature
In 2023, 783 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Literature.
CIP Code
00.2314 - Literature
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $141,143. The largest mapped role by headcount is English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary (59,590 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,341 in-state at public colleges and $40,352 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.