---

Literature at American University

If you plan to study Literature, take a look at what American University. Get started with the following essential facts.

American University sits in Washington, DC.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 39 literature degrees were granted at American University.

Online Class Availability at American University

Many students take online classes at American University. Among 12,321 students, 895 (7%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 1,822 (15%) took at least some classes online.

Literature Rankings at American University

These rankings give you a sense of how American University’s Literature program against other schools offering the same major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	District Of Columbia	#1 of 1
Best Value	District Of Columbia	#1 of 1
Best Schools (Quality)	Middle Atlantic (Region)	#3 of 6
Best Value	Middle Atlantic (Region)	#5 of 6
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#7 of 16
Best Value	Nationwide	#15 of 16

Earnings for Literature Graduates from American University

Graduates of American University’s Literature program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,528
2 years	$32,563
3 years	$31,881
4 years	$41,343
5 years	$51,266

How does this compare to the school overall? At the four-year mark, Literature graduates from American University take home a median $41,343, compared with $75,429 for all American University graduates — about 45% lower than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Literature graduates from American University is $26,105.

Student Demographics & Diversity

The following sections describe the diversity of Literature graduates at American University, by degree type.

Looking at the program as a whole, Literature graduates at American University are 82% women (32) and 18% men (7).

Literature Bachelor’s Program at American University

Of the 34 bachelor’s literature graduates at American University, 82% were women (28) and 18% were men (6).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Literature bachelor’s degree recipients at American University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	20
Hispanic / Latino	6
Black / African American	1
Asian	4
Two or More Races	3

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 41% of Literature bachelor’s degree recipients at American University, above the national average of 33%.*

Literature Master’s Program at American University

Among the 5 master’s literature degrees awarded at American University, 80% were women (4) and 20% were men (1).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Literature master’s degree recipients at American University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	3
Hispanic / Latino	2

Minority students account for 40% of Literature master’s degree recipients at American University, above the national average of 30%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Literature Concentrations at American University

The Literature program at American University offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Literature	39

Best-Paid Careers for Literature Graduates

Those who complete Literature program at American University work across a variety of fields. Here are the best-paid careers for Literature majors, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Editors	$100,346
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$88,437
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	$70,619
Writers and Authors	$63,195

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.