Alma College English: earnings, debt & careers

English graduates of Alma College earn a median $48,445 four years after graduating ($24,280 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $503 below the U.S. median for English graduates ($48,948 across 571 colleges), and ranks 6th of 13 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$48,445

U.S. median for this major: $48,948.

College Scorecard field of study; 18 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$24,280

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 56% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$20,694 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $63,650. College Scorecard.

Alma College English: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Alma College graduates$48,445
Michigan median (13 colleges)$48,101 (+$344)
U.S. median (571 colleges)$48,948 (−$503)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

English nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Alma College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$17,162$72,4244.8 years
$30–48k$18,009$75,9985.1 years
$48–75k$18,076$76,2815.1 years
$75–110k$18,699$78,9105.2 years
$110k+$23,618$99,6686.6 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of English graduates 4 years after graduating ($48,445) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,034 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

English at Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports English graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$57,809$16,937$13,13893%
2Saginaw Valley State University$55,302$28,625$10,77548%
3University of Michigan-Dearborn$49,421$31,000$9,49258%
4Michigan State University$49,154$25,443$19,68081%
5Kalamazoo College$49,150$25,456$19,07276%
6Alma College$48,445$27,000$20,69463%
7Oakland University$48,101$25,990$9,12058%
8Hope College$47,445$25,396$27,18280%
9Grand Valley State University$45,237$28,570$16,31767%
10Western Michigan University$43,628$28,350$15,27358%
11Wayne State University$42,585$27,000$12,76658%
12Eastern Michigan University$39,726$31,000$15,40746%
13Central Michigan University$39,262$27,500$17,59759%

18 more Michigan colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for English graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Michigan$66,030
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Michigan$35,530
U.S.$51,120

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Alma College, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Alma College

Related majors at Alma College

  • History—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Philosophy—

Alma College English questions

How much do Alma College English graduates earn?

English graduates of Alma College earn a median $48,445 four years after graduating and $24,280 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.

How much debt do Alma College English graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Alma College is $27,000, about 56% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.

Is Alma College a good school for English in Michigan?

On pay, English graduates of Alma College earn $48,445 four years out, $344 above the median for the same major across 13 Michigan colleges ($48,101) and $503 below the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Alma College rank for English in Michigan?

Of 13 Michigan colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Alma College ranks 6th. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $57,809.

What jobs do English graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $66,030 in Michigan and $72,040 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Alma College English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/alma-college/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).