English Language and Literature, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
English Language and Literature, General graduates earn a median $48,590 four years after finishing — $230/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 294 years. Federal data pools 1,057 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 28,158 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
English Language and Literature, General ranks #175 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 14% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford University | CA | $82,036 |
| 2 | Seattle University | WA | $78,906 |
| 3 | Georgetown University | DC | $78,370 |
| 4 | University of Chicago | IL | $78,169 |
| 5 | Wake Forest University | NC | $77,847 |
| 6 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $74,214 |
| 7 | Howard University | DC | $73,929 |
| 8 | Brown University | RI | $73,497 |
| 9 | Lehigh University | PA | $71,474 |
| 10 | George Washington University | DC | $70,766 |
| 11 | Boston College | MA | $70,141 |
| 12 | Tufts University | MA | $69,475 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.