DePaul University English: earnings, debt & careers

English graduates of DePaul University earn a median $52,608 four years after graduating ($28,660 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,499. That is $3,660 above the U.S. median for English graduates ($48,948 across 571 colleges), and ranks 7th of 21 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$52,608

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

College Scorecard field of study; 93 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$28,660

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,499

About 45% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$30,902 /yr

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

Sticker price $63,052. College Scorecard.

DePaul University English: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

DePaul University graduates$52,608
Illinois median (21 colleges)$48,442 (+$4,166)
U.S. median (571 colleges)$48,948 (+$3,660)

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 DePaul University'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$27,359$115,7296.9 years
$30–48k$25,950$109,7696.5 years
$48–75k$28,687$121,3467.2 years
$75–110k$31,057$131,3717.8 years
$110k+$37,092$156,8999.3 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($52,608) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,811 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 Illinois colleges

Every Illinois 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 Chicago$78,169—$14,86096%
2Northwestern University$62,147$15,564$29,16795%
3Lake Forest College$58,901$23,250$28,67378%
4Loyola University Chicago$56,289$26,000$36,07973%
5University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$54,570$20,961$14,35585%
6Wheaton College$52,647$21,500$26,97585%
7DePaul University$52,608$23,499$30,90268%
8Illinois Wesleyan University$51,107—$28,19975%
9Governors State University$50,426$22,520$12,32922%
10Northeastern Illinois University$49,141$19,000$14,10922%
11University of Illinois Chicago$48,442$18,750$10,97462%
12University of Illinois Springfield$48,196$32,574$9,83353%
13Northern Illinois University$47,981$25,375$13,39149%
14Illinois State University$47,445$23,125$19,39865%
15Eastern Illinois University$47,222$25,053$12,78647%
16Dominican University$46,780—$11,74555%
17Elmhurst University$46,021$19,500$24,18570%
18Augustana College$43,492$26,759$22,73673%
19Western Illinois University$41,984$23,750$12,93745%
20Southern Illinois University Edwardsville$41,310$25,250$14,88957%
21Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$37,786$26,500$13,29762%

27 more Illinois colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for English graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Chicago area$98,970
Illinois$79,990
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

Chicago area$51,970
Illinois$50,060
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 DePaul University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About DePaul University

Related majors at DePaul University

DePaul University English questions

How much do DePaul University English graduates earn?

English graduates of DePaul University earn a median $52,608 four years after graduating and $28,660 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.

How much debt do DePaul University English graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for English graduates of DePaul University is $23,499, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.

Is DePaul University a good school for English in Illinois?

On pay, English graduates of DePaul University earn $52,608 four years out, $4,166 above the median for the same major across 21 Illinois colleges ($48,442) and $3,660 above the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does DePaul University rank for English in Illinois?

Of 21 Illinois colleges reporting English graduate earnings, DePaul University ranks 7th. The highest is University of Chicago at $78,169.

What jobs do English graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $98,970 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area 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: “DePaul University English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/depaul-university/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).