by our College Data Analytics Team
[Literature](/majors/english-language-literature/literature/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the early-career earnings of their literature graduates.
What’s on this page:
Where you study literature affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we built our Highest Paid Literature Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its literature graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Learn more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Literature Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
If you want to know which schools send literature graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Pace University New York, our #1 for literature graduate salaries in the United States. Located in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career literature graduates from Pace University New York make a median of around $58,001 per year.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Pittsburgh Greensburg one of the highest-paying schools for literature. University Of Pittsburgh Greensburg is a public school located in the suburb of Greensburg. Students who complete the literature program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,146.
Students chasing top earnings in literature will find them at University Of Pittsburgh Johnstown, which ranked #3. University Of Pittsburgh Johnstown is a public school located in the suburb of Johnstown. Early-career literature graduates from University Of Pittsburgh Johnstown make a median of around $51,146 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in literature will find them at University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution. Early-career literature graduates from University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus make a median of around $51,146 per year.
A rank of #5 makes American University one of the highest-paying schools for literature. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the literature program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,266.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #6 for literature graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a public institution. Early-career literature graduates from University Of California Los Angeles make a median of around $36,428 per year.
The New School landed the #7 spot for literature salaries this year. The New School is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Early-career literature graduates from The New School make a median of around $25,618 per year.
Bennington College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying literature schools. Located in the town of Bennington, Bennington College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career literature graduates from Bennington College make a median of around $18,152 per year.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their literature graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.