Best Schools For Humanities Majors by Salary Potential

Interested in a humanities degree but not sure where to go? Learn more about the best undergrad schools for humanities majors by salary.

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RankSchool NameEarly Career Pay
Mid-Career Pay
Rank:1School Name:Yale UniversityEarly Career Pay:$70,700Mid-Career Pay:$145,800
Rank:2School Name:Princeton UniversityEarly Career Pay:$74,300Mid-Career Pay:$141,500
Rank:3School Name:Colgate UniversityEarly Career Pay:$71,500Mid-Career Pay:$138,000
Rank:4School Name:Dartmouth CollegeEarly Career Pay:$71,100Mid-Career Pay:$132,500
Rank:5School Name:University of Notre DameEarly Career Pay:$63,700Mid-Career Pay:$130,900
Rank:6School Name:Columbia University in the City of New YorkEarly Career Pay:$68,800Mid-Career Pay:$130,500
Rank:7School Name:Cornell UniversityEarly Career Pay:$70,400Mid-Career Pay:$128,600
Rank:8School Name:Boston CollegeEarly Career Pay:$63,400Mid-Career Pay:$127,400
Rank:9School Name:Harvard UniversityEarly Career Pay:$71,400Mid-Career Pay:$127,000
Rank:10School Name:University of PennsylvaniaEarly Career Pay:$69,600Mid-Career Pay:$126,300
Rank:10School Name:Brown UniversityEarly Career Pay:$69,900Mid-Career Pay:$126,300
Rank:12School Name:Bucknell UniversityEarly Career Pay:$66,700Mid-Career Pay:$125,800
Rank:12School Name:Williams CollegeEarly Career Pay:$67,000Mid-Career Pay:$125,800
Rank:12School Name:Duke UniversityEarly Career Pay:$67,600Mid-Career Pay:$125,800
Rank:15School Name:University of California-BerkeleyEarly Career Pay:$64,400Mid-Career Pay:$125,300
Rank:16School Name:College of the Holy CrossEarly Career Pay:$61,900Mid-Career Pay:$123,900
Rank:17School Name:Santa Clara UniversityEarly Career Pay:$66,500Mid-Career Pay:$123,500
Rank:18School Name:United States Air Force AcademyEarly Career Pay:$74,700Mid-Career Pay:$122,700
Rank:19School Name:United States Naval AcademyEarly Career Pay:$78,900Mid-Career Pay:$121,500
Rank:20School Name:Georgetown UniversityEarly Career Pay:$67,000Mid-Career Pay:$121,100
Rank:21School Name:University of Virginia-Main CampusEarly Career Pay:$60,200Mid-Career Pay:$120,500
Rank:22School Name:Wesleyan UniversityEarly Career Pay:$64,500Mid-Career Pay:$119,600
Rank:22School Name:Stanford UniversityEarly Career Pay:$71,200Mid-Career Pay:$119,600
Rank:24School Name:Brandeis UniversityEarly Career Pay:$61,300Mid-Career Pay:$118,900
Rank:25School Name:Middlebury CollegeEarly Career Pay:$62,600Mid-Career Pay:$118,700

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College Student

Who says English majors can’t earn a decent paycheck? In fact, for some schools, humanities majors actually earn a higher median salary than the median salary of all the school’s graduates overall. If you want to earn a degree in literature, philosophy, a foreign language or any other humanities subject, the colleges and universities included in the Payscale College Salary Report’s list of best schools for humanities majors will help inform your decision about which school to attend.

The salaries of humanities majors have some of the biggest growth over time, mostly because the early career salaries of most humanities majors are lower than those of people who studied computer science or engineering, or other STEM subjects. However, graduates who studied the humanities at several humanities schools often report median mid-career salaries over $100,000.

A bachelor’s degree in the humanities can equip you with everything you need for a successful career. Humanities majors become adept at writing, critical thinking, analysis and verbal communication. However, you can increase your earning potential by taking advantage of non-humanities classes that compliment your intended career path, whether that means picking up technical skills or mathematical skills like statistics.