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2023 Best Value Colleges for General English Literature (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

77 Ranked Colleges
4,484 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General English Literature is the 24th most popular major in the country with 40,481 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general English literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $29,881 and had an average of $23,769 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 4,484 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,583 and $24,829 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 77 colleges that offer a degree in general English literature. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general English literature programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general English literature program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General English Literature Schools

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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 Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General English Literature (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 77 schools in the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 68 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,500 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about General English Literature at University of Chicago

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 82 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Northwestern University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English degrees to 144 students in 2020-2021.

U-M also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at U-M

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 156 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison General English Literature Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 130 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full UIUC General English Literature Report

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 76 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Purdue University - Main Campus

7
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 60 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region English 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%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Notre Dame General English Literature Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 76 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Michigan State University

9

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington General English Literature Report

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 182 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,068 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 more about General English Literature at Ohio State University - Main Campus

11
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

Oberlin also took the #16 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin College is $8,756 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oberlin College General English Literature Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 49 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,517 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General English Literature at UW - La Crosse

13

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at IUPUI

14
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 51 degrees to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oakland General English Literature Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $9,547 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire General English Literature Report

16
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 78 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,273 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 General English Literature at Ball State

17

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,549 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago General English Literature Report

18

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls General English Literature Report

19

Grand Valley State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 103 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $10,259 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Grand Valley State University

20
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for IU East is $5,516 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at IU East

21

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 51 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

22

Miami University - Oxford ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 59 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 General English Literature at Miami University - Oxford

23
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 26 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,414 for great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read full report on General English Literature at Purdue University Fort Wayne

24
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Kenyon College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kenyon is located in Gambier, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kenyon, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,958 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kenyon.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General English Literature at Kenyon College

25

With a ranking of #25, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value English Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 137 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $13,783 for Great Lakes Region English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Illinois State

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