U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 30 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 37% 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 $24,591. College Scorecard.
PU 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 PU'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 | $5,098 | $21,717 | 1.3 years |
| $30–48k | $6,241 | $26,587 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $9,438 | $40,206 | 2.4 years |
| $75–110k | $18,177 | $77,434 | 4.7 years |
| $110k+ | $22,742 | $96,881 | 5.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (64% 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 ($52,053) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,519 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 Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports English graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | $60,998 | $19,500 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 2 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $56,204 | $18,948 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 3 | Wabash College | $53,638 | $27,000 | $24,336 | 77% |
| 4 | Valparaiso University | $52,439 | — | $18,578 | 70% |
| 5 | Purdue University | $52,053 | $19,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 6 | Indiana University-Kokomo | $41,719 | — | $3,968 | 46% |
| 7 | Indiana State University | $40,676 | $27,000 | $10,873 | 43% |
| 8 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $40,159 | $22,480 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 9 | Ball State University | $38,676 | $24,750 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 10 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $38,198 | $26,000 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 11 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $38,113 | $17,888 | $13,171 | 36% |
| 12 | Indiana University-East | $38,061 | $26,991 | $8,134 | 40% |
| 13 | Purdue University Northwest | $34,560 | $26,279 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 14 | Indiana University-Northwest | $29,768 | — | $5,130 | 37% |
24 more Indiana 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 PU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About PU
- Acceptance rate: 50% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 83% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $72,424
- Full cost breakdown · all 112 majors · overview
Related majors at PU
PU English questions
How much do PU English graduates earn?
English graduates of Purdue University earn a median $52,053 four years after graduating and $35,378 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do PU English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Purdue University is $19,500, about 37% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is PU a good school for English in Indiana?
On pay, English graduates of Purdue University earn $52,053 four years out, $11,635 above the median for the same major across 14 Indiana colleges ($40,418) and $3,105 above the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does PU rank for English in Indiana?
Of 14 Indiana colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Purdue University ranks 5th. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $60,998.
What jobs do English graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $62,590 in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Purdue University English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).