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Is an Online English Degree Worth It? (2026)
Whether an online English degree is worth it depends on what you attach to it, and individual outcomes may vary. English is the most argued-about major in the country, and both sides of the argument are partly right. It really does train reading, research, and written argument to a level few other majors reach, and those skills are used in a great many jobs. It also really does fail to name an industry, which means the degree by itself does not generate interviews the way an accounting or nursing degree does. The version of this major that pays off is the one paired with something specific: a licensure track, a technical writing portfolio, statistics coursework, a second language, an internship. The version that disappoints is the one where the transcript is the whole plan. This page walks through the factors to weigh rather than a single answer.
What kinds of roles does an English degree typically support?
The destinations divide into four groups, and they differ sharply in how they hire.
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Projected job growth (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 6.7% |
| Public Relations Specialists | 4.8% |
| Writers and Authors | 3.6% |
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | 1.7% |
| Technical Writers | 0.9% |
| Editors | 0.6% |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 0.0% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | -1.6% |
Editorial work is the most direct line. Editors had a median annual wage of $77,920 with a range from $41,250 at the 10th percentile to $153,700 at the 90th (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), 0.6 percent projected change from 2024 to 2034, and 9,800 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Technical writers had a median annual wage of $90,390 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS) with 0.9 percent projected change and 4,500 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Both are small occupations. They hire on demonstrated work, and both are reachable from an English degree with the right portfolio.
Communications and marketing absorb more English graduates than publishing does. Public relations specialists had a median annual wage of $74,750 with 4.8 percent projected growth and 27,600 openings per year, and market research analysts and marketing specialists had a median annual wage of $78,760 with 6.7 percent projected growth and 87,200 openings per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). That last figure is the largest opening count in this silo by a wide margin, and it is the strongest practical argument for pairing the major with marketing or statistics coursework.
Teaching is the destination many students actually have in mind, and it is gated in both directions. Secondary school teachers had a median annual wage of $72,040 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), a projected decline of 1.6 percent from 2024 to 2034, and 66,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034) – heavy replacement demand in a very large occupation, but a state license is required. Postsecondary English teachers had a median annual wage of $78,760 with 0.0 percent projected growth and 5,100 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034), and tenure-track work normally requires a doctorate.
Writing and authorship is the romantic answer. Writers and authors had a median annual wage of $76,910 with a range from $44,310 at the 10th percentile to $139,870 at the 90th (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), 3.6 percent projected growth, and 13,400 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). A large share of the occupation is self-employed, and freelance income is variable. Career outcomes vary widely by employer, geography, specialization, and individual experience. For general context, consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Does the major itself get you hired?
Rarely, on its own, and this is the fair version of the criticism. Very few job postings say “English degree required.” What postings say is “excellent written communication,” which every applicant claims, and then the hiring test is a writing sample or an edit test that most applicants fail. That is where the major pays: not in the line on the resume, but in the fact that you can actually pass the test.
The practical consequence is that an English degree rewards evidence more than credentials. A portfolio with a long researched paper, a short piece written for a general reader, and an edited document does more than a transcript. An internship at a publication, a nonprofit, or a communications office does more than either. Students who treat the major as four years of reading and produce nothing showable at the end are the ones for whom the criticism turns out to be true.
How should I think about cost versus expected benefit?
Cost varies significantly by institution type, residency status, degree level, and how many credits transfer in, so there is no single national figure that applies to every student. Rather than relying on a published annual rate, request each school’s total program cost estimate and factor in:
- Total credits required and the rate per credit
- How much transfer credit or credit by exam can reduce the number of courses you take at full price
- Technology and proctoring fees billed on top of the rate
- Book and anthology costs across a reading-heavy curriculum
- How the time commitment compares with your current work and life obligations
English is a low-equipment major, so the cost picture is unusually clean: credits and fees, with almost nothing else. That makes the total-cost comparison easier than in most fields and makes transfer credit the biggest single variable. See Affordable Online English Degrees.
Does degree level change the picture?
Yes, and more sharply than in most fields.
At the bachelor’s level, the degree does two jobs: it is the general four-year credential a great many professional roles require, and it is the reading and writing training. That combination is a reasonable value proposition, particularly if you would otherwise be choosing among general majors. What it needs from you is a second thread – a minor, a certificate, an internship, a portfolio – that names where you intend to work.
At the master’s level, the case narrows considerably. An MA in English is worth it for community college teaching, for a district salary schedule that recognizes it, for doctoral preparation, or for genuinely wanting the deeper work. It is not an upgrade for the editing, writing, and communications roles a bachelor’s already reaches, and the academic market it points toward shows 0.0 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Enter it with a specific use in mind.
How does English compare to related paths?
- English is literature, language, and analytical writing. Choose it for breadth, reading depth, and a strong general credential you intend to specialize later.
- Creative writing is original literary work in a workshop. Choose it if producing fiction, poetry, or scripts is the point rather than analyzing them.
- Professional writing is workplace writing: editing, documentation, proposals, content. Choose it if writing as employment inside an organization is the goal.
- Technical communication narrows further to documentation and information design, and points at the highest-paying occupation associated with this silo.
- Journalism trains reporting, sourcing, and verification. Choose it if finding out what is true and publishing it is the work.
- Liberal arts spreads across the humanities with English as one strand. Choose it if you want breadth over depth in a single discipline.
Who might reconsider an English degree?
An English degree may not be the best fit if you:
- Expect the major itself to produce job offers without a portfolio, an internship, or a second field
- Want a direct vocational path with a named credential at the end
- Want to teach in a public school but are not willing to complete a state-approved licensure program on top of the degree
- Dislike sustained reading; the workload is measured in pages, not in assignments
- Are considering the master’s without a specific use for it
- Are hoping to reach technical writing without building documentation samples
How can you evaluate fit before enrolling?
- Name the destination – editorial, communications, marketing, teaching, or graduate study. Each one implies a different concentration and a different second thread.
- Check the concentration list and read the required courses, not the track names.
- If teaching is the goal, start with the state, not the school. Licensure rules are set by state boards, and online licensure tracks have placement constraints.
- Ask how seminar discussion runs online and how long instructors take to return written comments.
- Verify accreditation – confirm recognized institutional accreditation through the U.S. Department of Education database. There is no programmatic accreditor for English.
- Request total program cost estimates from multiple schools rather than comparing per-credit rates alone.
- Plan the portfolio now, not in your final term. The evidence is what gets read.
Frequently asked questions
Is an online English degree respected by employers?
Generally, yes, if the program holds recognized institutional accreditation. Most employers do not distinguish between online and on-campus transcripts from an accredited institution, and in this field the writing sample carries more weight than the delivery format of the degree.
Is an English degree useless?
No, but it is unfinished. It supplies analysis and writing at a level that passes hiring tests other applicants fail, and it supplies the general four-year credential many roles require. What it does not supply is an industry. Graduates who add one – through a minor, a certificate, an internship, or a portfolio – do well; graduates who expect the major to do that work often do not.
Can I teach English with an online English degree?
In a public school, only with a state teaching license on top of it. That means a state-approved educator preparation program, supervised student teaching, and state exams. Confirm with your state licensing board, and confirm that an online program can arrange a student teaching placement near you.
Is a master’s in English worth it?
It is worth it for a specific use: community college teaching, a district salary schedule that recognizes it, doctoral preparation, or serious work in a field. It is not a general employability upgrade, and postsecondary English teaching shows 0.0 percent projected growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034).
How do I know if an English degree is worth it for me specifically?
Ask what you will build alongside the coursework and where you intend to work. If you can name both, the degree is a good vehicle. If the answer is “I like reading and I will figure it out later,” the risk is real, and it is worth deciding what the second thread will be before you enroll rather than after.
Related pages
- English Program Guide
- Online Bachelor’s in English
- Online Master’s in English
- Accelerated English Programs
- Affordable Online English Degrees
- How Online English Degrees Work
- How to Become an Editor
- What Can You Do With an English Degree?
- English Programs by State
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.