U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 74 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 58% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $23,867. College Scorecard.
ECU English: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
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.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses ECU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,046 | $43,700 | 4.3 years |
| $30–48k | $11,699 | $50,891 | 5.1 years |
| $48–75k | $14,904 | $64,832 | 6.4 years |
| $75–110k | $20,417 | $88,814 | 8.8 years |
| $110k+ | $23,028 | $100,172 | 9.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% 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 ($43,585) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,069 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 North Carolina colleges
Every North Carolina college we cover that reports English graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wake Forest University | $77,847 | $19,500 | $28,719 | 89% |
| 2 | Elon University | $68,927 | — | $41,555 | 84% |
| 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $51,208 | $14,794 | $11,655 | 91% |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $49,088 | $23,071 | $15,435 | 69% |
| 5 | Guilford College | $49,064 | — | $22,270 | 46% |
| 6 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $48,338 | $21,680 | $17,303 | 85% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | $46,008 | $24,636 | $20,109 | 71% |
| 8 | Appalachian State University | $45,954 | $21,430 | $16,836 | 75% |
| 9 | Western Carolina University | $45,079 | $25,000 | $13,315 | 60% |
| 10 | East Carolina University | $43,585 | $25,400 | $15,739 | 63% |
| 11 | North Carolina A & T State University | $40,317 | $31,000 | $10,846 | 57% |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $38,366 | $19,500 | $10,965 | 56% |
| 13 | University of North Carolina Asheville | $33,714 | $23,752 | $12,250 | 54% |
35 more North Carolina colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for English graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Proofreaders and Copy Markers
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 ECU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ECU
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 63% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $55,146
- Full cost breakdown · all 68 majors · overview
Related majors at ECU
- History$44,113
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Writing$43,647
- Linguistics$43,012
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$49,981
- Philosophy—
ECU English questions
How much do ECU English graduates earn?
English graduates of East Carolina University earn a median $43,585 four years after graduating and $29,133 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do ECU English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of East Carolina University is $25,400, about 58% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is ECU a good school for English in North Carolina?
On pay, English graduates of East Carolina University earn $43,585 four years out, $2,423 below the median for the same major across 13 North Carolina colleges ($46,008) and $5,363 below the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ECU rank for English in North Carolina?
Of 13 North Carolina colleges reporting English graduate earnings, East Carolina University ranks 10th. The highest is Wake Forest University at $77,847.
What jobs do English graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $57,230 in the Greenville, NC 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “East Carolina University English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/east-carolina-university/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).