UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2399

English Language and Literature/Letters, Other: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$26,054 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$26,054Median year-4 earnings
$8,987Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$26,054Median reported earnings · year 4
$20,483Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
4thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
2Reporting programs
2With year-4 earnings
COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$26,054
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
2
2 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$36,307
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
1
1 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$39,287
Federal debt
$25,500
Reporting programs
17
14 report earnings →
OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$50,671
Federal debt
Not available
Reporting programs
3
3 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$18,903National median$26,05475th percentile$18,903
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
DECISION CHECK

What to compare before choosing a program

The national result is only the starting point. Price, debt and the college-level earnings spread can materially change the payoff.

$18,90375th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
FILTER PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Find the colleges that fit your constraints

Keep this exact federal field and credential fixed, then narrow the reporting colleges by location, sector and federal debt.

1 matchesShowing up to 25 currently operating colleges
Open the full program search →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Mohawk Valley Community College$33,205

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1123 · 1 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS, OTHER

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debtROI statusCost context
1Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or DiplomaUtica, NY$33,205Not availableBaseline needed$8,987
2CES CollegeNot currently operatingBurbank, CA$18,903Not availableBaseline needed$31,411

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.