by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Children's & Adolescent Literature explores Children's And Adolescent Literature. A Program That Focuses On The Scholarly Study Of Children's And Adolescent Literature And That May Enhance The Professional Work Of Teachers, Librarians, Publishers, Booksellers, And Creative Writers. Includes Instruction In Period And Genre Studies, Author Studies, Literary Criticism, Studies Of Various Types Of Literary Text, Book Artists, And Children's Films. Examples: [Literature For Children And Young Adults]. Continue reading for the essential details every children's & adolescent literature student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering children's & adolescent literature programs.
Nationwide, children’s & adolescent literature draws strong interest, with 55 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Children’s & Adolescent Literature Schools ranking analyzes these 5 schools to determine the best overall colleges for children’s & adolescent literature students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of children’s & adolescent literature programs later in this article.
Studies in Children's & Adolescent Literature emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations children's & adolescent literature graduates commonly enter.
The skill set built by a children’s & adolescent literature program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a children’s & adolescent literature major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several children’s & adolescent literature degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 4 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 51 |
People currently working in careers related to children’s & adolescent literature tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 44.9% |
| Master’s degree | 24.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 9.4% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 8.9% |
| Some college courses | 7.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.0% |
| First professional degree | 1.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.0% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.2% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in children’s & adolescent literature careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in children’s & adolescent literature opens doors to a variety of career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to children’s & adolescent literature.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to children’s & adolescent literature.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,273,615 | 14.3% |
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | 175,767 | 9.1% |
| Writers and Authors | 155,629 | -4.3% |
| Editors | 11,763 | 3.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of children’s & adolescent literature graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $24,997 |
| 4 years | $42,308 |
| 5 years | $49,276 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for children’s & adolescent literature graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers children’s & adolescent literature grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Editors | $100,346 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $88,437 |
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | $70,619 |
| Writers and Authors | $63,195 |
With 5 different children’s & adolescent literature programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased children’s & adolescent literature school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in children’s & adolescent literature, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Literature | 396 |
| English Literature (British and Commonwealth) | 266 |
| Literature, Other | 36 |
| American Literature (United States) | 30 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
