English Language and Literature at Boston University

Boston University's English program presents a puzzle: selective admissions and a prestigious name, but earnings that lag far behind what similar programs deliver in Massachusetts. At $23,579 in the first year, graduates earn about 32% less than the typical English major in the state and trail the national median by $6,400. More troubling, this places BU in the bottom 10% of Massachusetts English programs—remarkable underperformance given the university's 11% admission rate and 1473 average SAT.

The debt load of $26,395 isn't catastrophic, but paired with those first-year earnings, it means new graduates face a debt burden exceeding their annual income. That starting salary is barely above poverty level for a single person, making those loan payments genuinely difficult. The earnings picture does improve dramatically—nearly doubling to $46,836 by year four—but even that recovery still falls $2,800 short of what the median Massachusetts English graduate earns right out of the gate.

For a family paying Boston University's premium tuition, these outcomes should raise serious questions. Your high-achieving student would likely see better earnings at Northeastern ($49,639), Williams ($49,340), or Holy Cross ($43,362)—all while potentially paying less. Unless there's a compelling non-financial reason to choose BU, Massachusetts offers multiple English programs that deliver substantially stronger returns.