English Language and Literature at Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University's English degree comes with estimated debt of $26,000—higher than the state median for this major—while similar programs in Rhode Island suggest first-year earnings around $35,500. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 is manageable compared to many humanities programs, but the earnings picture shows why this matters: Rhode Island's English graduates appear to start at roughly the national median, without the boost you'd expect from an 88% admission rate school charging more than typical state university costs.

The comparison with Rhode Island's other English programs is instructive. Brown graduates earn $50,400 their first year, while Rhode Island College grads start at $29,400—and Roger Williams likely falls somewhere in that middle territory, close to Providence College's $40,800 or URI's $30,100. Given Roger Williams' selectivity and private school pricing, you're betting on outcomes closer to Providence College's rather than the state universities'. But without actual graduate data for this specific program, that's genuinely uncertain.

For an English major who knows they'll pursue graduate school or a specific career path where the degree is a stepping stone, $26,000 in debt isn't catastrophic. But if your child expects the bachelor's degree alone to lead directly to financial independence, these estimated figures suggest that's an uphill climb, particularly in the first few years after graduation when loan payments begin.