by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 40,481 people earned their degree in general English literature, making the major the 24th most popular in the United States. 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,951 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 411 colleges that offered a degree in general English literature. To top this list, a school must have a successful general English literature program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree english students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern New Hampshire University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s. Located in Manchester, New Hampshire, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 438 degrees to qualified masters’s English students in 2020-2021.
Read more about General English Literature at Southern New Hampshire University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Arizona State University - Skysong. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s. Arizona State University - Skysong is a public institution located in Scottsdale, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 115 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 411 schools in the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, San Francisco State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 45 degrees to qualified masters’s English students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read more about General English Literature at San Francisco State University
Out of the 411 schools in the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 43 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 masters’s English degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General English Literature at California State University - Long Beach
East Carolina University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. East Carolina University is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 38 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
Full East Carolina University General English Literature Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 37 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus General English Literature Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s English degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 31 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on General English Literature at The Graduate Center, CUNY
With a ranking of #10, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 30 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 ranking of #11, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #12, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 27 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 27 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Massachusetts - Boston General English Literature Report
Miami University - Oxford landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 26 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about General English Literature at Miami University - Oxford
Middlebury College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified masters’s English students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General English Literature at Middlebury College
Yale University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified masters’s English students in 2020-2021.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 25 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Read full report on General English Literature at Minnesota State Mankato
California State University - Fullerton ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified masters’s English students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s English degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus General English Literature Report
North Carolina State University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 North Carolina State University General English Literature Report
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 23 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. 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%.
Georgetown University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Georgetown is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Washington, District of Columbia. It awarded 23 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 Georgetown University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 masters’s English degrees to qualified students.
Read more about General English Literature at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
Chapman University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s list. Chapman University is a medium-sized school located in Orange, California that handed out 23 masters’s English degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Emporia State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Major for a Master’s ranking. Emporia State University is located in Emporia, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 masters’s English degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.
Not only did these schools make the top 55 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, LA |
| 57 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 57 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 57 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH |
| 57 | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| 57 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
