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2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

505 Ranked Colleges
40,481 Degrees Awarded
$3,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 40,481 people earned their degree in English, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 505 colleges that offered a degree in English. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality English programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the English program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for English (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 44 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on English at Duke University

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 51 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on English at Stanford University

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about English at Yale

4
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 66 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best English Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on English at Brown

5
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 68 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on English at UChicago

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 105 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best English Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $580 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about English at UPenn

7
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 82 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best English Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Northwestern English Report

8
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 25 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Johns Hopkins University English Report

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a fairly large school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 69 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also took the #18 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Vanderbilt English Report

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #19 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor English Report

11
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 76 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Harvard has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,564 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard University English Report

12
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 50 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Princeton also did well on our “Best English Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best English Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $2,958 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Princeton

13
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Georgetown University is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 83 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best English Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $3,077 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on English at Georgetown

14
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 51 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Wake Forest University also made our “Best English Schools” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about English at Wake Forest University

15
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 42 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Williams is in the top on our “Best English Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $1,451 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about English at Williams

16
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 50 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rice is also in the top of our “Best English Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best English Schools” list. It costs about $4,443 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about English at Rice

17
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best English Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best English Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on English at University of Florida

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 156 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to English language quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison English Report

19

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 130 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best English Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at UIUC

20

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 165 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best English Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

21

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 166 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best English Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about English at Columbia University in the City of New York

22
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

Tufts excels when it comes to English language quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $8,122 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about English at Tufts

23
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.

Boston College also made our “Best English Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Boston College English Report

24

University of California - Berkeley ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 254 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #11 spot in our “Best English Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Berkeley English Report

25
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best English Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best English Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,995 for English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at Purdue University - Main Campus

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York
27
28
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
29
30
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
31
32
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
33
34
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
35
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
36
37
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
38
Trinity Bantams crest
Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut
39
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
40
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
41
41
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
43
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
44
45
46
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
47
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
48
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
49
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value English Language Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
52University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
53John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY
54Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
55The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
56Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, NY
57University of California - DavisDavis, CA
58Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
59Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
60Baruch CollegeNew York, NY
61California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
62Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA
63Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
64University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
65University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
67University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
68California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
69Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
70Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, TX
71Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
72Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
73University of North TexasDenton, TX
74California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
75University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
76North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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