Bachelor's · Bellingham, Washington
Is English Language and Literature, General at Western Washington University worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 16.7 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $33,719
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $50,023
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $15,415
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $85k (likely $85k – $115k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $6k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in WA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 16.7 years (likely 11.2–20+)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$252k (likely −$334k – −$196k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$155k (likely −$279k – −$21k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 61%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare English Language and Literature, General at other schools
🎬 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward media & storytelling majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Seminar
IB Higher Level
- Language A: Literature HL or Language and Literature HL
- Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Western Washington University
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate certificate)$146,466
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$129,722
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$116,543
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$110,138
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$107,131
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$97,723
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$96,695
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering (Bachelor's)$92,439
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$88,050
- Manufacturing Engineering (Bachelor's)$85,314
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$82,246
- Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)$81,678
English Language and Literature, General at other schools in Washington
- Seattle University$78,906
- Gonzaga University$59,151
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus$57,649
- Seattle Pacific University$52,378
- Washington State University$50,745
- University of Puget Sound$50,690
- Whitworth University$47,699
- Central Washington University$43,101
- Eastern Washington University$41,541