English
English graduates earn an average annual wage of $115,438, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 73,590 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in English and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$16,376 Median In-State Public
$35,960 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for English majors are, on average, $16,376 for in-state public colleges, and $35,960 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for English programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
77,950 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in English from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in English.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 3 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | 39,637 |
| 4 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | 36,357 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 34,623 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering English programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tohono O'odham Community College | AZ | $932 |
| 2 | Woodland Community College | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 4 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 5 | Lassen Community College | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for English programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Coahoma Community College | MS | $560 |
| 3 | Reedley College | CA | $1,584 |
| 4 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,697 |
| 5 | Hartnell College | CA | $2,895 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for English programs.
Graduation Rates
55.81% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
56.10% Average Graduation Rate
1,377 Institutions Reporting
43.55% - 68.61% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for English programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ English graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$115,438 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for English majors is $115,438.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for English majors.
Occupations by Share
73,590 2023 Workforce
The number of English graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in English by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of English degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
$52,341 Median Annual Earnings (10 years after enrollment)
618.22% Return on Investment (10-year earnings vs 4-year cost)
This degree shows strong ROI, with 10-year earnings significantly exceeding the cost of education.
$72,876 Estimated Total Cost (4 years at median net price)
Financial value comparison for English degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in English in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in English.
Age distribution for English degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
48,926 Total Degrees Awarded
13,124 Male (26.82%)
35,802 Female (73.18%)
Gender distribution of English degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
29,540 White (60.38%)
8,514 Hispanic or Latino (17.40%)
3,533 Black or African American (7.22%)
2,286 Two or More Races (4.67%)
2,228 Asian (4.55%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of English degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in English are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in English.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the English field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
English majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for English 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 English majors.
About
English
In 2023, 77,950 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in English.
CIP Code
23.0100 - English
Insights and Analysis
Exceptional Return on Investment: English offers an outstanding ROI of 618%, meaning graduates typically earn significantly more over 10 years than the total cost of their education. This makes it one of the most financially rewarding degree choices available.
High Earning Potential: English graduates earn an average annual wage of $115,438, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.
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.