English Language and Literature at Hendrix College

That $18,668 first-year salary should immediately catch your attention—it places Hendrix's English program in the bottom 10% both nationally and within Arkansas, where even the state's public universities are producing graduates who earn $10,000-15,000 more right out of school. Your child would be carrying $27,000 in debt (above both state and national medians) while earning barely above minimum wage for that first year.

The 117% earnings growth to $40,542 by year four sounds impressive until you realize graduates are essentially spending years catching up to where their peers started. University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State graduates begin near $35,000 and grow from there. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty—these numbers could swing significantly with just a few data points, but the current picture shows Hendrix trailing every major Arkansas competitor except Harding.

For a selective liberal arts college with a 1336 average SAT, these outcomes are surprisingly weak. If your child is set on studying English at a private Arkansas college, this data suggests they'd face a difficult first few years financially while that degree finds its footing in the job market. The public university alternatives offer both lower tuition and stronger early-career earnings.