English Language and Literature at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

UW-Whitewater's English program lands squarely in the middle of Wisconsin's crowded field—ranking in the 40th percentile statewide—while performing better against national benchmarks. First-year graduates earn $33,318, which tops the national median by about $3,300 but falls short of Wisconsin's $34,610 median and trails several other UW system schools by $5,000-$7,000. The debt picture, however, is notably favorable: at $27,000, graduates borrow only slightly more than typical for the major, resulting in a manageable 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth to $38,782 by year four—a 16% gain that suggests graduates find their footing in the workforce. Still, this program's positioning is "typical" in the truest sense: it delivers adequate but unremarkable outcomes for a humanities degree. Parents weighing in-state options should note that campuses like Green Bay and Eau Claire produce graduates earning 20-30% more within a year of graduation, though whether that premium justifies choosing a different location depends on individual circumstances.

For families comfortable with mid-five-figure starting salaries and modest debt loads, this program offers reasonable value. But if maximizing early career earnings is the priority, other Wisconsin public universities demonstrate stronger returns for the same major and similar tuition costs.