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2026 Highest Paid General English Language Literature Grads in Illinois

[General English Language Literature](/majors/english-language-literature/general-english-language-literature/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their general english language literature graduates.

What’s on this page:

• Highest Paid General English Language Literature Grads in Illinois

2026 Highest Paid General English Language Literature Grads in Illinois

Below are the schools whose general english language literature graduates go on to earn the most.

Highest Paid General English Language Literature Graduates

1

Depaul University
Chicago, IL

$63,750 Average Early-Career Salary

Our analysis ranked Depaul University the top school for general english language literature graduate earnings in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general english language literature graduates from Depaul University make a median of around $63,750 per year.

2

Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL

$64,767 Average Early-Career Salary

Strong graduate earnings at Northern Illinois University earned it the #2 place for general english language literature. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. After graduating, general english language literature degree recipients from Northern Illinois University typically earn about $64,767 annually.

3

Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL

$42,208 Average Early-Career Salary

Strong graduate earnings at Western Illinois University earned it the #3 place for general english language literature. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. General English Language Literature graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of about $42,208 a year early in their careers.

View All General English Language Literature Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their general english language literature graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).

Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.

*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.

• 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.
• Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.

More about our data sources and methodologies.