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English Language & Literature

Types of Degrees English Language & Literature Majors Are Earning

Those studying English Language & Literature may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	135
Associate’s Degree	3,463
Bachelor’s Degree	33,304
Master’s Degree	10,911
Doctor’s Degree	1,111

What English Language & Literature Majors Need to Know

Studies in English Language & Literature emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that English Language & Literature graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in English Language & Literature emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a English Language & Literature program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to English Language & Literature careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, English Language & Literature graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by English Language & Literature professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for English Language & Literature graduates include:

• Teacher
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• English Instructor
• English Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Literature Instructor
• Classics Teacher
• Literature Professor
• English Lecturer
• Languages Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to English Language & Literature graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	43.8%
Master’s degree	23.8%
Bachelor’s degree	11.2%
Less than a high school diploma	8.1%
Some college courses	5.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.1%
First professional degree	0.6%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in English Language & Literature?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 73.2% of English Language & Literature degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	35,802	73.2%
Men	13,124	26.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English Language & Literature graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	29,540	60.4%
Asian	2,228	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	8,514	17.4%
Black or African American	3,533	7.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	163	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	57	0.1%
Two or More Races	2,286	4.7%
Race Unknown	1,457	3.0%
International Students	1,148	2.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do English Language & Literature Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of English Language & Literature graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$31,778
4 years	$41,979
5 years	$48,446

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,446 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online English Language & Literature Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for English Language & Literature. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	60	44
Bachelor’s	80	80
Master’s	84	58
Doctoral (Research)	4	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in English Language & Literature Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, English Language & Literature graduates earn a median of $41,979 four years after completion — roughly 10% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.