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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General English Literature in Illinois

24 Ranked Colleges
1,099 Degrees Awarded
$20,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General English Literature is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 41,945 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,099 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” 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. 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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General English Literature in Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 126 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General English Literature Report

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 108 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

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 Illinois State University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students list, UIC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #10 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students per year to attend NIU.

Read more about General English Literature at NIU

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Read more about General English Literature at Northeastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 54 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville General English Literature Report

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students per year to attend GSU.

Full Governors State University General English Literature Report

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

Read more about General English Literature at EIU

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Full WIU General English Literature Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #21 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General English Literature Report

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

Aurora also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend Aurora University.

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 more about General English Literature at Aurora

#12

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. McKendree University is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

McKendree also took the #13 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend McKendree.

Read more about General English Literature at McKendree

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,358 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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%.

Read more about General English Literature at Wheaton College Illinois

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College General English Literature Report

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students per year to attend Elmhurst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Elmhurst General English Literature Report

#16

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Full Roosevelt University General English Literature Report

#17

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

Full Columbia General English Literature Report

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

North Central also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College General English Literature Report

#19

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students list, Augustana has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

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.

Read full report on General English Literature at Augustana College

#20

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students per year to attend DePaul.

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 full report on General English Literature at DePaul University

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Loyola Chicago General English Literature Report

#22

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

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

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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.

Read more about General English Literature at Northwestern University

#23

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students.

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 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 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.

Full UChicago General English Literature Report

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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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