by our College Data Analytics TeamDiscover the essential details every digital humanities and textual studies major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering digital humanities and textual studies programs.
Across the country, digital humanities and textual studies is a widely-pursued major, with 128 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Digital Humanities and Textual Studies Schools ranking analyzes these 15 schools to determine the best overall colleges for digital humanities and textual studies students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of digital humanities and textual studies programs later in this article.
Coursework for Digital Humanities and Textual Studies build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations digital humanities and textual studies graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a digital humanities and textual studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a digital humanities and textual studies major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several digital humanities and textual studies degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 25 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 30 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 73 |
People currently working in careers related to digital humanities and textual studies tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 41.8% |
| Doctoral degree | 27.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 15.4% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.4% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 2.1% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.0% |
| Some college courses | 1.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 1.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.0% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in digital humanities and textual studies careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in digital humanities and textual studies can lead to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to digital humanities and textual studies.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to digital humanities and textual studies.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Curators | 1,554,871 | 4.1% |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,273,615 | 14.3% |
| Archivists | 1,193,221 | 1.6% |
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | 964,215 | -0.1% |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 718,152 | 6.5% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
Salaries for digital humanities and textual studies graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers digital humanities and textual studies grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $88,437 |
| Curators | $79,764 |
With 15 different digital humanities and textual studies programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased digital humanities and textual studies school rankings to help you.
Those considering digital humanities and textual studies, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Digital Humanities | 126 |
| Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, Other | 2 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 30,141 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 28,033 |
| Data Analytics | 12,891 |
| MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES | 10,355 |
| Data Science | 7,716 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5,740 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 5,456 |
| Behavioral Sciences | 5,391 |
| Sustainability Studies | 4,374 |
| Cognitive Science | 3,121 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
