ROI Major

English Language and Literature, General at Augsburg University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 23.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a English Language and Literature, General degree from Augsburg University earn a median salary of $51,875 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,128. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.8 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$35,823

Typical Career

$51,875

Top Performers

$65,458

Estimated break-even: 10.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$346

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,323. Most students can comfortably afford about a $346 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.2%
Educational Services 16.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.5%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$55,128

Nominal: $51,875 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

10.8 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $28,536 $36,215 $45,582
5 Years After Graduation $35,823 $51,875 $65,458
10 Years After Graduation $46,024 $65,986 $81,200

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $51,875 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,875 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $55,128 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in English Language and Literature from Augsburg University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $36,215, increasing to $51,875 five years later, and reaching $65,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years post-graduation equate to approximately $55,127.52 nationally, reflecting a competitive salary relative to the cost of living in Minnesota, where the cost-of-living index is 0.941 compared to the national average of 1.0.

In terms of career opportunities, graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (23.2%), followed by Educational Services (16.0%) and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.5%). The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 10.8 years, indicating that while the initial investment in education may take time to pay off, the long-term return on investment can be favorable, especially in fields that value strong communication and analytical skills.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the English Language and Literature, General degree at Augsburg University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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