English Language and Literature at Radford University

Radford's English program sits in the bottom quartile among Virginia schools, with recent graduates earning about $6,300 less than the state median for English majors. While first-year earnings of $25,407 trail most Virginia programs (including schools like Longwood and William & Mary where English grads start near $40,000), the debt load here is actually modest at $21,500—lower than both state and national averages. That creates a debt-to-earnings ratio under 1.0, which is manageable.

The 41% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, bringing graduates to nearly $36,000 by their fourth year out. However, even with that growth, earnings remain below what many Virginia English programs deliver in year one. For a family considering this program, the crucial question is whether the relatively gentle debt burden offsets starting at a significant earnings disadvantage compared to peer institutions in Virginia.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means individual outcomes could vary substantially from these medians. For a parent, this is a "proceed carefully" situation—the financial outcomes are workable but not compelling, especially given that Virginia offers several English programs with stronger early earnings trajectories at comparable debt levels.