Murray State University English: earnings, debt & careers

English graduates of Murray State University earn a median $41,383 four years after graduating ($25,543 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $7,565 below the U.S. median for English graduates ($48,948 across 571 colleges), and ranks 5th of 9 Kentucky colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$41,383

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

College Scorecard field of study; 25 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$25,543

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 63% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$9,096 /yr

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

Sticker price $23,485. College Scorecard.

Murray State University English: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Murray State University graduates$41,383
Kentucky median (9 colleges)$41,383 (+$0)
U.S. median (571 colleges)$48,948 (−$7,565)

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 Murray State 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$6,242$26,7163.4 years
$30–48k$6,347$27,1653.5 years
$48–75k$8,104$34,6854.4 years
$75–110k$12,811$54,8317.0 years
$110k+$15,450$66,1268.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (48% 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 ($41,383) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $7,867 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 Kentucky colleges

Every Kentucky 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
1Bellarmine University$45,612$27,000$21,49964%
2University of Louisville$45,572$20,531$17,98861%
3Northern Kentucky University$44,385$24,585$8,19152%
4University of Kentucky$44,384$21,250$18,85171%
5Murray State University$41,383$26,000$9,09661%
6Berea College$40,722—$6,10658%
7Western Kentucky University$40,616$23,232$10,99056%
8Morehead State University$35,895—$9,79352%
9Eastern Kentucky University$35,203$23,648$11,04050%

15 more Kentucky colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for English graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Kentucky$61,560
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

Kentucky$46,380
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 Murray State University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Murray State University

Related majors at Murray State University

Murray State University English questions

How much do Murray State University English graduates earn?

English graduates of Murray State University earn a median $41,383 four years after graduating and $25,543 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.

How much debt do Murray State University English graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Murray State University is $26,000, about 63% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.

Is Murray State University a good school for English in Kentucky?

On pay, English graduates of Murray State University earn $41,383 four years out, $0 above the median for the same major across 9 Kentucky colleges ($41,383) and $7,565 below the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Murray State University rank for English in Kentucky?

Of 9 Kentucky colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Murray State University ranks 5th. The highest is Bellarmine University at $45,612.

What jobs do English graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $61,560 in Kentucky and $72,040 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.

Is Murray State University the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing Murray State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “Murray State University English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/murray-state-university/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).