English Language and Literature at University of Houston-Clear Lake

English majors at University of Houston-Clear Lake earn nearly $51,000 in their first year—dramatically outperforming both Texas ($33,000) and national ($30,000) medians for the program. That 95th percentile ranking means this program beats virtually every other English degree in the state, even surpassing SMU graduates who typically earn $47,000. With debt under $16,000, graduates here face a debt burden just 31% of their first-year salary, far better than the national norm where English majors often struggle with debt exceeding 80% of earnings.

The catch? Earnings dip slightly to $49,000 by year four, and these figures come from a very small graduating class. That small sample means a few high earners could be skewing the numbers upward, so there's less certainty here than with larger programs. Still, even accounting for that caution, the earnings advantage is substantial enough to suggest something real is happening—perhaps strong connections to Houston's corporate sector or graduates pivoting into business communication roles that command higher salaries.

For an accessible state school serving a largely working-class student body (44% receive Pell grants), these outcomes are exceptional. The combination of strong regional employment prospects and manageable debt makes this worth serious consideration, though you'll want to verify these numbers hold as more data becomes available.