ROI Major

English Language and Literature, General at Framingham State University

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 23.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a English Language and Literature, General degree from Framingham State University earn a median salary of $57,726 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $38,951. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.2 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

$43,047

Typical Career

$57,726

Top Performers

$71,857

Estimated break-even: 9.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$385

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,811. Most students can comfortably afford about a $385 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 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 19.2%
Educational Services 17.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.8%

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

$38,951

Nominal: $57,726 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% lower 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).

9.2 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 $27,168 $35,951 $45,286
5 Years After Graduation $43,047 $57,726 $71,857
10 Years After Graduation $56,877 $73,904 $91,050

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 $57,726 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $57,726 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $38,951 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 Framingham State University experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,951, which increases to $57,726 after five years and reaches $73,904 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in Massachusetts, where the cost-of-living index is 1.482, the purchasing-power-adjusted median earnings five years post-graduation are approximately $38,951.42, indicating that while nominal earnings grow, the purchasing power may be impacted by higher living costs.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), Educational Services (17.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.8%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 9.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be considered moderate. While graduates can find opportunities in diverse fields, the time to recoup educational costs suggests that careful consideration of career goals and financial implications is essential for prospective students.

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 Framingham State 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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