English Language and Literature at St. John Fisher University

St. John Fisher's English program lands near the bottom third nationally, with first-year earnings of $27,105 falling below both national and New York state medians. While the debt load of $23,625 sits slightly below state averages, the combination still means graduates start with nearly a full year's salary in loans—a challenging position when entry-level earnings barely cover basic living costs in the Rochester area.

The small sample size here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. That said, the gap between St. John Fisher's outcomes and stronger NY programs is substantial—Nazareth University, also in Rochester, shows English graduates earning $36,200, nearly $9,000 more annually. That earnings difference compounds quickly, making debt repayment considerably easier for graduates of higher-performing programs.

For a family paying close to private school tuition rates, these returns suggest this particular major at St. John Fisher represents a difficult financial bet. If your student is committed to English, exploring state schools with lower costs or private institutions with demonstrably better English program outcomes would likely offer either lower debt, higher earnings, or both—critical factors when starting salaries hover around $27,000.