What you'll do in college
English majors read widely—novels, poetry, plays, essays—and learn to write about what they read with clarity and depth. Coursework covers literary periods (Shakespeare, Romanticism, modernism), critical theory, and often electives in creative writing, journalism, or rhetoric.
Expect long reading lists and lots of papers. Creative writing tracks include workshops where students share and critique each other's stories or poems. Senior projects can be a long research paper or, in creative tracks, a thesis manuscript.
What you'll do after college
English grads go into journalism, publishing, marketing and advertising, education, law, consulting, tech (especially UX writing and content roles), and graduate study. The major builds writing, reading comprehension, and the ability to make a coherent argument—skills that employers say they value but find hard to find.
Pay varies: starting jobs in publishing or media tend to be modest, while law school grads, tech writers, and consultants make significantly more.
Famous graduates
- Toni Morrison — Nobel laureate and novelist; B.A. in English from Howard University
- Stephen King — Bestselling author; B.A. in English from University of Maine
- Bradley Cooper — Actor and filmmaker; B.A. in English from Georgetown University
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English, Literature & Writing | 1,158 | 28,879 | 26% / 74% | 1% | $49,374 |
| 1,076 | 23,005 | 26% / 74% | 1% | $48,982 | |
| 217 | 2,192 | 30% / 70% | 1% | $48,711 | |
| 43 | 902 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $57,133 | |
| 73 | 426 | 23% / 77% | 1% | $47,687 | |
| 69 | 351 | 27% / 73% | 12% | $47,878 | |
| 31 | 324 | 27% / 73% | 1% | $42,331 | |
| 5 | 248 | 24% / 76% | 1% | $47,130 | |
| 14 | 171 | 26% / 74% | 2% | $49,626 | |
| 17 | 139 | 23% / 77% | 8% | $61,928 | |
| 27 | 131 | 31% / 69% | 0% | $50,662 | |
| 1 | 75 | 41% / 59% | 11% | ||
| 2 | 72 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $57,443 | |
| 14 | 63 | 25% / 75% | 2% | $60,070 | |
| 2 | 56 | 32% / 68% | 2% | ||
| 9 | 55 | 33% / 67% | 2% | ||
| 1 | 54 | 37% / 63% | 6% | $94,586 | |
| 3 | 53 | 19% / 81% | 2% | $61,884 | |
| 13 | 50 | 12% / 88% | 2% | $52,368 | |
| 4 | 41 | 24% / 76% | 0% | $52,290 | |
| 2 | 41 | 66% / 34% | 0% | $61,719 | |
| 3 | 37 | 32% / 68% | 0% | $52,546 | |
| 6 | 35 | 20% / 80% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 33 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $53,705 | |
| 1 | 32 | 12% / 88% | 3% | ||
| 2 | 26 | 31% / 69% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 26 | 19% / 81% | 15% | $55,013 | |
| 1 | 23 | 22% / 78% | 22% | ||
| 1 | 20 | 20% / 80% | 5% | $62,857 | |
| 2 | 18 | 22% / 78% | 0% | $45,784 | |
| 2 | 18 | 17% / 83% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 18 | 28% / 72% | 0% | $53,786 | |
| 4 | 17 | 24% / 76% | 6% | ||
| 1 | 16 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $32,237 | |
| 1 | 16 | 44% / 56% | 0% | $44,834 | |
| 1 | 14 | 64% / 36% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 13 | 8% / 92% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 13 | 23% / 77% | 8% | ||
| 3 | 9 | 22% / 78% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 8 | 38% / 62% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 8 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $51,540 | |
| 1 | 7 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $64,134 | |
| 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $43,848 | |
| 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% |