Literature Degree
Students study literary works across historical periods, genres, and cultural traditions, developing skills in close reading, critical analysis, and interpretive argumentation. Graduates typically pursue careers in publishing, education, library sciences, arts administration, and content creation, or continue to graduate programs in the humanities. The deep reading and analytical skills developed in literature programs transfer effectively to law, business, and communications.
What Literature Graduates Do
Your literature degree prepares you for deadline-driven roles where clear communication is paramount. As a writer or editor, you’ll spend less time on personal prose and more time shaping content for specific goals—developing marketing campaigns, clarifying technical manuals, or managing a publication’s content pipeline. Your day-to-day is about research, revision, and project management. Career progression typically starts with building a portfolio as a junior copywriter or editorial assistant, eventually leading to senior roles like managing editor or content director, where you oversee strategy and teams.
Be aware that while writing roles show some growth, editing and academic positions are stagnant. More importantly, AI is fundamentally reshaping these careers. With very high AI exposure, the foundational drafting and revision tasks that once defined entry-level work are now largely automated. This is shrinking the number of junior positions. To succeed, your value won't be in simply producing words, but in your ability to generate unique ideas, strategically guide AI tools, and critically evaluate their output for nuance, style, and accuracy. The premium is shifting from craftsmanship to judgment.
Common Career Paths
Where Literature graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 28,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | 5,100 | 0.0% | 53% | |
| Editors | 9,800 | +0.6% | 65% | |
| Writers and authors | 13,400 | +3.6% | 89% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Literature
8 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA |
24 20–24 |
$23,868/yr | 7.7x |
| 2 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA |
24 20–24 |
$23,868/yr | 7.7x |
| 3 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA |
21 17–21 |
$23,868/yr | 4.9x |
| 4 | Bennington College Bennington, VT |
19 17–20 |
$18,152/yr | -0.3x |
| 5 | The New School New York, NY |
17 13–17 |
$25,618/yr | 0.1x |
| 6 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA |
17 14–18 |
$22,704/yr | 5.6x |
| 7 | Pace University New York, NY |
16 12–16 |
$25,758/yr | 1.8x |
| 8 | American University Washington, DC |
12 8–12 |
$23,164/yr | 1.3x |
Highest Earning Literature Programs
Schools where Literature graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| Pace University | $25,758/yr | 16 |
| The New School | $25,618/yr | 17 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | $23,868/yr | 24 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $23,868/yr | 24 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $23,868/yr | 21 |
| American University | $23,164/yr | 12 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | $22,704/yr | 17 |
| Bennington College | $18,152/yr | 19 |
Best ROI for Literature
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Literature.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | 7.7x | $23,868/yr | 24 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 7.7x | $23,868/yr | 24 |
| University of California-Los Angeles | 5.6x | $22,704/yr | 17 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | 4.9x | $23,868/yr | 21 |
| Pace University | 1.8x | $25,758/yr | 16 |
| American University | 1.3x | $23,164/yr | 12 |
| The New School | 0.1x | $25,618/yr | 17 |
| Bennington College | -0.3x | $18,152/yr | 19 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Literature offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.