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English & Literature · English Rank #475 of 493

Englishat Vassar College

Graduates earn $24,614/yr in their first year — about 19.0% below the national English average. Base-case 10-year earnings $613K; scenarios range from $544K to $631K depending on AI disruption.

Poughkeepsie, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
16 AT RISK
16
Optimistic
12
Pessimistic
Earnings
$24,614
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.2x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$613K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Vassar College

Vassar’s esteemed English program cultivates exceptional critical thinking, writing, and analytical skills, highly valued across many sectors. However, the initial earning potential often reflects the diverse, non-linear career paths common for humanities graduates. Many pursue roles in publishing houses, educational institutions, non-profits, or entry-level communications, fields where starting salaries aren't typically top-tier, especially if you're not immediately leveraging the Vassar network in high-cost-of-living cities like New York. The "very high" AI risk rating reflects automation's growing impact on tasks like proofreading, basic content generation, and even some teaching preparation. To maximize your return, actively seek internships early in areas like digital marketing, technical writing, or data-driven journalism. Complementing your literary studies with practical skills or a minor in a field like digital media or business analytics will significantly broaden your career options and future-proof your valuable Vassar education.

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
$544K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score12/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$613K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score16/100
Earnings Multiple2.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$631K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score16/100
Earnings Multiple2.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Vassar College'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 Vassar College 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
Northeastern University
MA · Private nonprofit
33
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
1.1x
ROI
Also at Vassar College

Other top programs at Vassar College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Vassar College, 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 Vassar College

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for English at Vassar College?

A score of 16/100 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 $544,151 in decade earnings vs $631,249 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

Can you still earn well with English from Vassar College?

First-year earnings trail the national median, but starting salary isn't the full picture. Regional cost of living, career trajectory, and tuition cost all factor in. Check the five-year earnings data when available.