U.S. median for this major: $48,948.
College Scorecard field of study; 93 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 38% 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 $33,642. College Scorecard.
UIUC 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 UIUC'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 | $2,038 | $8,458 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,373 | $22,298 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $7,982 | $33,125 | 1.8 years |
| $75–110k | $15,152 | $62,881 | 3.3 years |
| $110k+ | $28,761 | $119,358 | 6.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($54,570) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,773 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 UIUC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UIUC
- Acceptance rate: 42% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 85% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $81,054
- Full cost breakdown · all 102 majors · overview
Related majors at UIUC
- History$46,718
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$61,801
- Writing$44,004
- Journalism$67,539
- Linguistics$61,774
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
UIUC English questions
How much do UIUC English graduates earn?
English graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $54,570 four years after graduating and $37,031 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.
How much debt do UIUC English graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for English graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $20,961, about 38% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.
Is UIUC a good school for English in Illinois?
On pay, English graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn $54,570 four years out, $6,128 above the median for the same major across 21 Illinois colleges ($48,442) and $5,622 above the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UIUC rank for English in Illinois?
Of 21 Illinois colleges reporting English graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 5th. 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 $61,480 in the Champaign-Urbana, IL 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: “University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).