History and Language/Literature Degrees (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

History and Language/Literature maps to BLS occupations averaging about $219,914, with roughly 117,680 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 59%; median in-state published tuition is about $1,270.

Key Statistics

317
Total Degrees Awarded (2023)
$1,270
Median In-State Public Tuition
$38,550
Median Out-of-State Private Tuition
$219,914
Avg. Wage (related occupations)
117,680
Workers (related occupations)
59.4%
Median Graduation Rate (4-yr schools)

History and Language/Literature: what the data shows

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

What is a history and language/literature degree?

A History and Language/Literature program is classified under NCES CIP 00.3045 in the 00.0030 field family (00.30).

IPEDS counted 317 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of history and language/literature degrees and related programs

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

How long does it take to get a history and language/literature degree?

Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.3045 in our file:

  • 315 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 history and language/literature?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What degree do you need?

For Lawyers (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 history and language/literature degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links History and Language/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
Lawyers747,750$151,160
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary59,590$78,270
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary21,170$77,010
History Teachers, Postsecondary19,860$81,500
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors36,260$59,950
Speech-Language Pathologists178,790$95,410

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a history and language/literature degree worth it?

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $1,270 and median net price is $16,719.

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 History and Language/Literature and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$1,270 Median In-State Public

$38,550 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for History and Language/Literature majors are, on average, $1,270 for in-state public colleges, and $38,550 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for History and Language/Literature programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

317 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in History and Language/Literature from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in History and Language/Literature.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

# School State Enrollment
1 Modesto Junior College CA 14,714
2 Averett University VA 1,162

Schools with the largest enrollment offering History and Language/Literature programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

# School State Tuition
1 Modesto Junior College CA $1,270
2 Averett University VA $38,550

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for History and Language/Literature programs.

Top 5 Lowest Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 Modesto Junior College CA $10,176
2 Averett University VA $23,262

Schools with the lowest average net price for History and Language/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 History and Language/Literature programs across institutions.

Related specializations

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

Degree Levels (IPEDS)

Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.3045 in the survey year used in our extract (315 total across levels below).

  • 315 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 $219,914. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of History and Language/Literature graduates alone.

Related occupations (BLS OEWS)

Occupation Mean annual wage U.S. employment
Lawyers$261,078747,750
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$145,21259,590
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$129,69121,170
History Teachers, Postsecondary$134,22119,860
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$100,12936,260
Speech-Language Pathologists$117,150178,790

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

$231,777 Average Wage in Workforce

The average salary for History and Language/Literature majors is $231,777.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for History and Language/Literature majors.

Occupations by Share

117,680 2023 Workforce

The number of History and Language/Literature graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in History and Language/Literature by share of the total number of graduates.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in History and Language/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 History and Language/Literature.

Age distribution for History and Language/Literature degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of History and Language/Literature degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

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

Racial and ethnic distribution of History and Language/Literature degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in History and Language/Literature are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in History and Language/Literature.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the History and Language/Literature field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

History and Language/Literature majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for History and Language/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 History and Language/Literature majors.

About

History and Language/Literature

In 2023, 317 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in History and Language/Literature.

CIP Code

00.3045 - History and Language/Literature

What the data shows

Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $219,914. The largest mapped role by headcount is Lawyers (747,750 U.S. jobs in OEWS).

Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $1,270 in-state at public colleges and $38,550 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.