U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 134 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 52% 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 $39,694. College Scorecard.
Pennsylvania State University 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 Pennsylvania State University'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 | $19,845 | $83,349 | 5.7 years |
| $30–48k | $20,049 | $84,206 | 5.8 years |
| $48–75k | $25,667 | $107,801 | 7.4 years |
| $75–110k | $31,834 | $133,703 | 9.2 years |
| $110k+ | $37,831 | $158,890 | 11.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (70% 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 ($50,299) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,502 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania 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 | Lehigh University | $71,474 | $19,707 | $36,931 | 88% |
| 2 | University of Scranton | $69,349 | — | $32,568 | 80% |
| 3 | Villanova University | $67,157 | $26,899 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 4 | University of Pennsylvania | $61,989 | $19,500 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 5 | Gettysburg College | $60,876 | $26,724 | $31,490 | 83% |
| 6 | Dickinson College | $57,603 | $19,000 | $37,607 | 80% |
| 7 | Ursinus College | $56,454 | — | $30,536 | 73% |
| 8 | Duquesne University | $54,025 | $26,098 | $37,730 | 77% |
| 9 | Lafayette College | $53,050 | $16,500 | $34,433 | 88% |
| 10 | Temple University | $53,018 | $25,949 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 11 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $52,137 | $27,000 | $29,689 | 79% |
| 12 | Allegheny College | $51,381 | $27,000 | $22,940 | 73% |
| 13 | Albright College | $51,149 | — | $20,024 | 51% |
| 14 | Washington & Jefferson College | $50,646 | $27,000 | $25,002 | 70% |
| 15 | Saint Vincent College | $50,411 | $27,000 | $23,510 | 69% |
| 16 | Moravian University | $50,397 | $27,000 | $30,670 | 72% |
| 17 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | $50,300 | — | $21,331 | 54% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $50,299 | $26,000 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre | $50,299 | $26,000 | $16,448 | 23% |
| 20 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $50,299 | $26,000 | $17,910 | 39% |
| 21 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | $50,299 | $26,000 | $22,213 | 17% |
| 22 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $50,299 | $26,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 23 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | $50,299 | $26,000 | $22,585 | 26% |
| 24 | Pennsylvania State University | $50,299 | $26,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 25 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | $50,299 | $26,000 | $18,071 | 20% |
| 26 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State York | $50,299 | $26,000 | $19,047 | 16% |
| 27 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | $50,034 | $27,000 | $19,608 | 66% |
| 28 | Bucknell University | $49,785 | $27,000 | $40,766 | 86% |
| 29 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $49,537 | $27,280 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 30 | Lincoln University | $49,159 | — | $14,977 | 44% |
| 31 | Lebanon Valley College | $47,838 | $27,000 | $26,979 | 65% |
| 32 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $47,162 | $27,000 | $18,134 | 43% |
| 33 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $46,990 | $29,725 | $15,699 | 54% |
| 34 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $42,756 | $25,934 | $20,787 | 58% |
| 35 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | $41,226 | $27,000 | $23,726 | 56% |
| 36 | Arcadia University | $40,802 | — | $29,466 | 67% |
| 37 | Muhlenberg College | $40,161 | $27,000 | $28,905 | 82% |
| 38 | Bryn Mawr College | $38,040 | — | $31,759 | 82% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania Western University | $37,813 | $27,000 | $18,256 | 52% |
| 40 | Point Park University | $32,822 | — | $25,942 | 59% |
47 more Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Pennsylvania State University
- Acceptance rate: 61% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 86% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,435
- Full cost breakdown · all 141 majors · overview
Related majors at Pennsylvania State University
- History$52,871
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$62,831
- Writing—
- Journalism$62,336
- Linguistics—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,195
Pennsylvania State University English questions
How much do Pennsylvania State University English graduates earn?
English graduates of Pennsylvania State University earn a median $50,299 four years after graduating and $29,848 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do Pennsylvania State University English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Pennsylvania State University is $26,000, about 52% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is Pennsylvania State University a good school for English in Pennsylvania?
On pay, English graduates of Pennsylvania State University earn $50,299 four years out, $0 above the median for the same major across 41 Pennsylvania colleges ($50,299) and $1,351 above the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Pennsylvania State University rank for English in Pennsylvania?
Of 40 Pennsylvania colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Pennsylvania State University ranks 24th. The highest is Lehigh University at $71,474.
What jobs do English graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $73,250 in the State College, PA 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: “Pennsylvania State University English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).