Is a English degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 85% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 77%. Compare the cost with other Colorado programs before deciding.

Metropolitan State University of Denver English (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Metropolitan State University of Denver English graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $30,000, which ranks 10th lowest of 10 English bachelor's programs in Colorado. That works out to about $318 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Metropolitan State University of Denver English graduates stay in Colorado?

Most do. 94% (105 of 112) were working in Colorado one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in English Language and Literature, General
Public university
Denver, CO
About 69 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Metropolitan State University of Denver English graduates earn more than graduates of most English programs nationally, $35,487 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $30,000 in federal loans, more than at 96% of English programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying English degrees in Colorado.

First-year earnings$35,48779th percentile of 471 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$44,41325% more than year one

Median federal debt$30,00010th lowest of 10 Colorado programs

Debt-to-earnings85%Colorado median 73%, national 77%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Colorado and national columns are the medians across all English bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Metropolitan State University of Denver	Colorado	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,487	$31,257	$30,195
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$44,413	$43,163	$47,348
Median federal debt at graduation	$30,000	$24,500	$24,498
Debt as share of first-year pay	85%	73%	77%
Programs compared		10	471

Five years out, Metropolitan State University of Denver graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the Colorado median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Colorado English program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Colorado medians.

Metropolitan State University of DenverOther Colorado programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 25% between the first and fifth year.

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 1$35,487

Metropolitan State University of Denver grads, year 5$44,413

All Colorado English grads, year 5$43,163

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned about the same in their first year as other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $34,250 against $24,821.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$35,904Median debt $34,250

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$36,849Median debt $24,821

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $318 a month, or 10.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (99 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 23 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $10,000.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

94% of graduates (105 of 112) were working in Colorado one year after graduating. Prices in the Denver area are about 6% above the national average, so a $35,487 salary here buys what about $33,547 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to English, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,900

Median pay in Colorado. 18,310 people work in this job in Colorado. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,970Top 10%: $101,300

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

$51,120

Median pay nationwide. 120 people work in this job in Colorado. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

About Metropolitan State University of Denver

In-state tuition and fees	$11,124 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$30,684 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,327 / year
Admission rate	99%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	32%
Undergraduate students	15,002

English ranks 38th of 48 bachelor's programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,333), Electrical Engineering Technology ($75,966), and Computer Science ($73,874).

Other English bachelor's programs near Denver

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, CO · public		$35,487	$30,000
University of DenverDenver, CO · private nonprofit	5 mi	$30,246	$25,678
CU DenverDenver, CO · public	9 mi	$35,364	$25,586
CU BoulderBoulder, CO · public	23 mi	$31,825	$19,522
University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO · public	49 mi	$30,689	$24,557
Colorado StateFort Collins, CO · public	58 mi	$27,549	$20,500
UCCSColorado Springs, CO · public	60 mi	$34,627	$22,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,487 one year after graduating and $44,413 five years after. The median across English bachelor's programs in Colorado is $31,257.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Colorado comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the English program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

English bachelor's programs in Colorado, ranked10 programs by pay and debt English bachelor's programs in the US, ranked471 programs by pay and debt All Metropolitan State University of Denver programs, ranked48 programs by pay and debt