English Language and Literature at Keene State College

Keene State's English program reports first-year earnings of $39,122—nearly $5,000 above New Hampshire's median for English majors and a remarkable 30% above the national average. While the program ranks in the 60th percentile statewide (trailing Dartmouth and a few others), it places in the 95th percentile nationally, an unusually strong showing for an open-access institution where 89% of applicants are admitted.

The $27,000 median debt sits right at the state average, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69—manageable by most standards. More encouraging is the trajectory: earnings grow 22% by year four, reaching nearly $48,000. That's substantially better than the typical English graduate's path and suggests these students are finding solid career footing, whether in education, communications, or other fields where writing skills command value.

The significant caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 recent graduates means one or two unusually successful alumni could skew these numbers considerably. Still, even accounting for that uncertainty, the combination of above-average earnings, moderate debt, and strong growth makes this program worth serious consideration, particularly for New Hampshire residents. Just understand you're looking at a small dataset that may not predict your child's individual outcome as reliably as numbers from larger programs would.