U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 33 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 70% 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 $28,329. College Scorecard.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale 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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale'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 | $9,415 | $40,673 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $8,497 | $36,707 | 18.5 years |
| $48–75k | $10,308 | $44,531 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $17,724 | $76,568 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $23,254 | $100,457 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% 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 ($37,786) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $1,989 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.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago | $78,169 | — | $14,860 | 96% |
| 2 | Northwestern University | $62,147 | $15,564 | $29,167 | 95% |
| 3 | Lake Forest College | $58,901 | $23,250 | $28,673 | 78% |
| 4 | Loyola University Chicago | $56,289 | $26,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $54,570 | $20,961 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 6 | Wheaton College | $52,647 | $21,500 | $26,975 | 85% |
| 7 | DePaul University | $52,608 | $23,499 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $51,107 | — | $28,199 | 75% |
| 9 | Governors State University | $50,426 | $22,520 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 10 | Northeastern Illinois University | $49,141 | $19,000 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago | $48,442 | $18,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 12 | University of Illinois Springfield | $48,196 | $32,574 | $9,833 | 53% |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | $47,981 | $25,375 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 14 | Illinois State University | $47,445 | $23,125 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 15 | Eastern Illinois University | $47,222 | $25,053 | $12,786 | 47% |
| 16 | Dominican University | $46,780 | — | $11,745 | 55% |
| 17 | Elmhurst University | $46,021 | $19,500 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 18 | Augustana College | $43,492 | $26,759 | $22,736 | 73% |
| 19 | Western Illinois University | $41,984 | $23,750 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $41,310 | $25,250 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $37,786 | $26,500 | $13,297 | 62% |
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
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 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- Acceptance rate: 87% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 62% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $53,390
- Full cost breakdown · all 93 majors · overview
Related majors at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- History$52,900
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Writing$56,632
- Journalism$49,880
- Linguistics$42,905
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,236
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale English questions
How much do Southern Illinois University-Carbondale English graduates earn?
English graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn a median $37,786 four years after graduating and $24,145 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do Southern Illinois University-Carbondale English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is $26,500, about 70% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale a good school for English in Illinois?
On pay, English graduates of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale earn $37,786 four years out, $10,656 below the median for the same major across 21 Illinois colleges ($48,442) and $11,162 below the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Southern Illinois University-Carbondale rank for English in Illinois?
Of 21 Illinois colleges reporting English graduate earnings, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale ranks 21st. 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 $79,990 in Illinois 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: “Southern Illinois University-Carbondale English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).