Best English Language programs in North Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature.
44 schools in North Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,271 people a year. The job pays a median of $63,370 in North Carolina across about 2,140 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in North Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in North Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in North Carolina (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own North Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 23.0101In North Carolina → | 1,004 | 79.0% | 43 | $29,622 | $24,546 |
| 2 | CIP 23.1302In North Carolina → | 151 | 11.9% | 8 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 3 | CIP 13.1305In North Carolina → | 43 | 3.4% | 9 | $43,033 | $26,044 |
| 4 | CIP 23.1303In North Carolina → | 39 | 3.1% | 5 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 5 | CIP 23.1301In North Carolina → | 13 | 1.0% | 2 | $28,725 | $25,250 |
| 6 | Cultural Studies and Comparative Literaturemain feeder CIP 30.3601In North Carolina → | 10 | 0.8% | 1 | — | — |
| 7 | CIP 23.9999In North Carolina → | 5 | 0.4% | 1 | $24,239 | $25,500 |
| 8 | CIP 23.1401In North Carolina → | 5 | 0.4% | 3 | $23,868 | $26,552 |
| 9 | CIP 23.1499In North Carolina → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $23,868 | $26,552 |
Top 25 schools in North Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 15 of the 44 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 141 | English Language and Literature, General | $32,694 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 2 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 134 | English Language and Literature, General | $32,021 | 69% | — | 80% |
| 3 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 129 | Creative Writing | $24,205 | 71% | — | 64% |
| 4 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 128 | English Language and Literature, General | $30,060 | 91% | — | 15% |
| 5 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC Public · 5 feeder programs | 109 | English Language and Literature, General | $29,133 | 63% | — | 89% |
| 6 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 106 | English Language and Literature, General | $23,397 | 75% | — | 90% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 81 | English Language and Literature, General | $29,494 | 56% | — | 89% |
| 8 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 59 | English Language and Literature, General | $29,927 | 60% | — | 82% |
| 9 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 36 | English Language and Literature, General | $19,136 | 54% | — | 92% |
| 10 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 36 | English Language and Literature, General | $31,449 | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 11 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Creative Writing | — | 42% | $22,259 | 71% |
| 12 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 31 | Creative Writing | — | 61% | $24,872 | 62% |
| 13 | Davidson College Davidson, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 27 | English Language and Literature, General | $34,707 | 91% | $16,628 | 13% |
| 14 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 24 | English Language and Literature, General | $20,483 | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 15 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 38% | — | 82% |
| 16 | Elon University Elon, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | English Language and Literature, General | $36,302 | 84% | $33,688 | 66% |
| 17 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 19 | English Language and Literature, General | $30,995 | 57% | — | 50% |
| 18 | Gardner - Webb University Boiling Springs, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 55% | $22,863 | 77% |
| 19 | High Point University High Point, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 74% | $37,072 | 75% |
| 20 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 13 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 44% | — | 93% |
| 21 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 44% | — | 64% |
| 22 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 7 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 61% | $23,331 | 87% |
| 23 | Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 47% | $22,639 | 75% |
| 24 | Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 6 | English Language and Literature, General | — | 48% | $23,920 | 85% |
| 25 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | English Language and Literature, General | $35,619 | 70% | $19,552 | 74% |
All 44 schools in North Carolina
Every school in North Carolina with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public | 141 | 3 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte | Public | 134 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public | 129 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public | 128 | 1 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville | Public | 109 | 5 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Public | 106 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public | 81 | 3 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public | 59 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | Asheville | Public | 36 | 1 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 1 |
| Warren Wilson College | Swannanoa | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 2 |
| Queens University of Charlotte | Charlotte | Private not-for-profit | 31 | 3 |
| Davidson College | Davidson | Private not-for-profit | 27 | 2 |
| Duke University | Durham | Private not-for-profit | 24 | 2 |
| Fayetteville State University | Fayetteville | Public | 21 | 1 |
What english language and literature teachers, postsecondary earn in North Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $78,760. North Carolina pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in North Carolina
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a English Language
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in North Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 21 majors mapped to English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.1305English/Language Arts Teacher Education
- 16.0104Comparative Literature
- 23.0101English Language and Literature, General
- 23.1301Writing, General
- 23.1302Creative Writing
- 23.1303Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
- 23.1304Rhetoric and Composition
- 23.1399Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other
- 23.1401General Literature
- 23.1402American Literature (United States)
- 23.1403American Literature (Canadian)(no graduates reported)
- 23.1404English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
- 23.1405Children's and Adolescent Literature
- 23.1499Literature, Other
- 23.9999English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
- 30.3601Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
- 30.4701Linguistics and Anthropology
- 30.4801Linguistics and Computer Science
- 30.5201Digital Humanities and Textual Studies, General
- 30.5202Digital Humanities
- 30.5203Textual Studies(no graduates reported)
Common questions
Answers for people weighing english language and literature teachers, postsecondary programs in North Carolina.
What degree do you need to become an English Language?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is English Language and Literature, General, which awarded 1,004 degrees in North Carolina in 2024-25, 79.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an English Language?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are English Language and Literature, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, plus 2 more. Together they graduate about 1,271 people a year in North Carolina.
How much do english language and literature teachers, postsecondary earn in North Carolina?+
The median is $63,370 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 19.5% below the U.S. median of $78,760. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for english language and literature teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +0.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 5,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in North Carolina?+
44 institutions in North Carolina reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do english language and literature teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, English Professor, English Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1123.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card