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English & Literature · English Rank #165 of 493

Englishat Northeastern University

Graduates earn $49,639/yr in their first year — about 63.0% above the national English average. Base-case 10-year earnings $514K; scenarios range from $475K to $517K depending on AI disruption.

Boston, MA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
33 AT RISK
34
Optimistic
25
Pessimistic
Earnings
$49,639
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$514K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Northeastern University

Your Northeastern English degree offers a distinct advantage, largely due to the university's renowned co-op program. Unlike many traditional humanities paths, you'll gain practical, professional experience through structured placements in Boston's competitive job market. This means building a portfolio of real-world skills in communication, content strategy, editing, and project management within tech companies, publishing houses, non-profits, or marketing agencies, rather than just academic settings.

This hands-on exposure, combined with Northeastern’s strong network, helps you secure roles beyond traditional teaching, leading to faster career progression and higher earning potential in fields like technical writing, marketing communications, or content development. While AI tools are impacting many communication roles, your co-op experiences should focus on developing higher-order strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills that are harder to automate. Leverage every co-op to build a diverse skillset and professional network.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$475K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score25/100
Earnings Multiple1.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$514K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score33/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$517K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score34/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Northeastern University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where English graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
English language and literature teachers, postsecondary
0.0% 10-yr growth · 5,100 openings/yr
$78,270/yr
High
2
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
3
Proofreaders and copy markers
-0.6% 10-yr growth · 1,900 openings/yr
$49,210/yr
Very High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering English

How Northeastern University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
43
DW Score
$52K
1-yr earn
2.0x
ROI
Top score
University of Houston-Clear Lake
TX · Public
56
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
17.4x
ROI
Monmouth University
NJ · Private nonprofit
37
DW Score
$51K
1-yr earn
2.2x
ROI
Brown University
RI · Private nonprofit
33
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
1.0x
ROI
Same state (MA)
Northeastern University Professional Programs
MA · Private nonprofit
42
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
Also at Northeastern University

Other top programs at Northeastern University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northeastern University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in English offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare English trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about English at Northeastern University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for English at Northeastern University?

A score of 33/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for English. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.

Will AI replace English careers?

With 61% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $475,150 in decade earnings vs $516,792 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.