ROI Major

English Language and Literature, General at Augusta University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 23.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a English Language and Literature, General degree from Augusta University earn a median salary of $47,521 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,509. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.1 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$36,271

Typical Career

$47,521

Top Performers

$55,675

Estimated break-even: 12.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$317

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,960. Most students can comfortably afford about a $317 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 39.2%
Educational Services 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$52,509

Nominal: $47,521 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

12.1 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,858 $35,883 $43,913
5 Years After Graduation $36,271 $47,521 $55,675
10 Years After Graduation $48,213 $62,818 $71,360

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $47,521 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,521 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $52,509 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in English Language and Literature from Augusta University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,883, which increases to $47,521 after five years and reaches $62,818 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $52,509.39, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive salary despite the cost of living in Georgia being slightly lower than the national average.

The primary industries that employ these graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (39.2%), Educational Services (20.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.4%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 12.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears reasonable. Graduates can find diverse career opportunities, particularly in sectors that value strong communication and analytical skills, which are integral to the English Language and Literature curriculum.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the English Language and Literature, General degree at Augusta University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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