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2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

24 Ranked Colleges
1,324 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 41,945 people earned their degree in general English literature, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general English literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,525 and had an average of $23,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,324 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,090 and $22,147 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in general English literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general English literature programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general English literature program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to 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 Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for General English Literature (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 72 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern General English Literature Report

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 71 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The low 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 more about General English Literature at University of Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 152 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.

Read more about General English Literature at UIUC

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 97 degrees to qualified ’s English students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,648 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about General English Literature at University of Illinois at Chicago

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 63 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #18 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General English Literature at SIUE

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 85 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on General English Literature at NIU

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, GSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $10,872 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Governors State University General English Literature Report

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 130 degrees to qualified ’s English students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State General English Literature Report

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 40 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,350 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.

Full Eastern Illinois University General English Literature Report

#10

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #4 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 General English Literature at Wheaton College Illinois

#11

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 Elmhurst University General English Literature Report

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Aurora University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Aurora has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $14,103 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Aurora University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 31 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC General English Literature Report

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 32 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,942 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about General English Literature at Western Illinois University

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at Illinois College

With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at Northeastern Illinois University

#17

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $15,184 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at McKendree

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Augustana General English Literature Report

#19

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

Knox also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $16,828 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Knox General English Literature Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,889 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at North Central College

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Roosevelt has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $20,398 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Roosevelt General English Literature Report

#22

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $27,120 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General English Literature at Columbia College Chicago

#23

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 69 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $26,173 for Illinois English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at DePaul University

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 67 ’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also made our “Best General English Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for illinois english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read more about General English Literature at Loyola University Chicago

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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