College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to English Language And Literature

Literature.

Master's Degree10 Institutions

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.

Annual Full Cost vs. Median Earnings

Each dot represents one program at an institution. Shows the spread of annual sticker price (or net price if sticker price is unavailable) vs earnings 4 years post-grad.

Field Median ($59,921)
P25-P75 Interval ($53,492 - $59,921)
HS Baseline ($35,872)
Breakeven Line (0% ROI)
Institution
State
Earnings
Avg Net PriceMedian Debt
Lifetime Value Added
Washington
DC
-
Nat: $55,337
$41,943
/yr
-
-$0
Ypsilanti
MI
-
Nat: $55,337
$15,407
/yr
-
-$0
New York
NY
-
Nat: $55,337
$2,984
/yr
-
-$0
Columbus
OH
-
Nat: $55,337
$17,339
/yr
-
-$0
University of Central Oklahoma
⚠️ Caution: This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate its ROI.
Edmond
OK
-
Nat: $55,337
$18,309
/yr
-
-$0
Erie
PA
-
Nat: $55,337
$22,553
/yr
-
-$0
Philadelphia
PA
-
Nat: $55,337
$19,409
/yr
-
-$0
Providence
RI
-
Nat: $55,337
$9,478
/yr
-
-$0
New York
NY
$59,921
Nat: $55,337
4yr Post-Grad
$37,050
/yr
-
-$181k
Boston
MA
$53,492
Nat: $55,337
4yr Post-Grad
$25,265
/yr
-
-$220k
Analysis Notes:
  • Lifetime Value Added: Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median bachelor's degree holder, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes.
  • Avg Net Price: The average price paid by students who receive federal financial aid (grants/loans).Note: For graduate programs, the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition and net price.
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.