English Language and Literature at Kansas State University

Kansas State's English program comes with a critical caveat: the sample size is small enough that these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. That said, the available data shows first-year earnings of $31,364—slightly above both the national and Kansas median for English graduates, landing in the 60th percentile statewide. Relative to other Kansas programs, K-State sits in the middle of the pack, behind Washburn and Benedictine but ahead of larger programs at Wichita State and KU.

The debt picture is more concerning. At $21,750, graduates carry less than the national average but still face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69, meaning nearly 70 cents of debt for every dollar earned in that first year. This isn't catastrophic for a liberal arts degree—many English programs show similar or worse ratios—but it does mean graduates will likely need several years of income growth to comfortably manage repayment.

For parents evaluating this program, the limited sample size matters most. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, one or two outliers could be skewing these figures significantly. If your child is committed to English at K-State, these numbers suggest a roughly average outcome compared to peer programs in Kansas, but you're essentially betting on a pattern that may not be stable. Consider asking the department about typical career paths and alumni outcomes to fill in what the federal data can't reliably show.