English Language and Literature at Stetson University

Stetson's English program produces concerning outcomes even when adjusting for Florida's already-modest earnings in this field. At $21,520 one year out, graduates earn 20% less than the state median and rank in just the 5th percentile nationally among English programs. For context, University of South Florida's English graduates earn $30,696—over 40% more—while Florida State's earn $29,534. That's a significant gap for similar degree programs in the same state.

The debt picture compounds the problem. While $26,000 in loans sits slightly above the national median for English majors, it represents a concerning burden when paired with such low starting earnings. That 1.21 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe more than their entire first year's salary—a challenging position for a humanities degree where early career salaries already run low. The program does rank better within Florida (25th percentile) than nationally, but that's cold comfort when the state median itself sits 10% below the national figure.

The small sample size here matters—fewer than 30 graduates means one or two outliers could skew the picture considerably. Still, the gap between Stetson and Florida's public universities is too wide to ignore. Unless your child has compelling personal reasons to attend (family ties, specific faculty, substantial merit aid that reduces actual debt), the state's public options offer substantially better financial outcomes in this major.