MAJORS · 28 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is an english language & literature degree worth it?
Part of English, Liberal Arts, and Humanities — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$64,507. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$64,507
across 712 bachelor’s programs · 56,747 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$64K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$55K ⟷ +$167K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
36.1%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
41
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$7K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$111K
Questions
- Is an english language & literature degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 712 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for English Language & Literature is +$64,507 and the median is +$64,265. 36.1% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$54,940 and +$166,716.
- How long until an english language & literature degree pays off?
- Among English Language & Literature programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 41 (FREOPP 2021). 36.1% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for an english language & literature major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of English Language & Literature graduates span −$54,940 to +$166,716 — a +$222K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “English Language & Literature: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/english-language-and-literature