Degree profile

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature Degrees (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

Executive Summary (TL;DR)

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature maps to BLS occupations averaging about $139,905, with roughly 9,970 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 59%; median in-state published tuition is about $8,991.

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature: what the data shows

Common questions about cultural studies and comparative literature degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.

What is a cultural studies and comparative literature degree?

A Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature program is classified under NCES CIP 30.3600 in the Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature field family (00.30).

IPEDS counted 8 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of cultural studies and comparative literature degrees and related programs

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 family with pages on EDsmart Data:

What do you learn in cultural studies and comparative literature?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Speaking, Active Learning, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What jobs can you get with a cultural studies and comparative literature degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian annual wage
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary11,430$84,290
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary59,590$78,270
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary21,170$77,010
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary12,680$75,890

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a cultural studies and comparative literature degree worth it?

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,991 and median net price is $16,514.

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 Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$8,991 Median In-State Public

$23,638 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature majors are, on average, $8,991 for in-state public colleges, and $23,638 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

8 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

# School State Enrollment
1 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN 30,469
2 The University of Texas at San Antonio TX 29,675
3 East Carolina University NC 19,857

Schools with the largest enrollment offering Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

# School State Tuition
1 East Carolina University NC $7,361
2 The University of Texas at San Antonio TX $8,991
3 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN $16,488

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature programs.

Top 5 Lowest Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 The University of Texas at San Antonio TX $11,234
2 East Carolina University NC $16,514
3 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN $17,139

Schools with the lowest average net price for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature programs.

Graduation Rates

59.36% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)

57.43% Average Graduation Rate

144 Institutions Reporting

43.88% - 71.16% Interquartile Range

Graduation/completion rates for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature programs across institutions.

Related specializations

Other NCES program codes in the 00.30 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.

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 $139,905. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature graduates alone.

Related occupations (BLS OEWS)

Occupation Mean annual wage U.S. employment
Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$129,63011,430
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$145,21259,590
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$129,69121,170
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$141,27812,680

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

$139,552 Average wage, mapped occupations (OEWS)

Occupations mapped to Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature average $139,552 a year in the BLS OEWS extract.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature majors.

Occupations by Share

9,970 2023 Workforce

The number of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature by share of the total number of graduates.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Cultural Studies and Comparative 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 Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.

Age distribution for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Racial and ethnic distribution of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for Cultural Studies and Comparative 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 Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature majors.

About

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature

In 2023, 8 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature.

CIP Code

30.3600 - Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature

What the data shows

Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $139,905. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).

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.