ROI Major

English Language and Literature, General at Louisiana State University in Shreveport

LA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 23.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a English Language and Literature, General degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport earn a median salary of $50,539 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,755. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.7 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

$32,821

Typical Career

$50,539

Top Performers

$64,666

Estimated break-even: 13.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$337

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,212. Most students can comfortably afford about a $337 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 21.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance 20.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.2%

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

$54,755

Nominal: $50,539 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

13.7 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 $21,591 $28,024 $40,342
5 Years After Graduation $32,821 $50,539 $64,666
10 Years After Graduation $33,699 $58,150 $81,671

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 $50,539 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,539 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $54,755 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 Louisiana State University in Shreveport experience a notable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $28,024, which increases to $50,539 five years post-graduation, and reaches $58,150 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $54,755.15, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (21.9%), Health Care & Social Assistance (20.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.2%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree can be considered reasonable. Graduates can anticipate a diverse range of career opportunities, particularly in sectors that value strong communication and analytical skills, further enhancing the degree's overall value.

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 Louisiana State University in Shreveport 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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