College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s

20 Ranked Colleges
1,054 Degrees Awarded
$28,955 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 1,251 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,955 and $23,481 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,054 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in general English literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general English literature programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general English literature program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General English Literature Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More English Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s” 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s”.

Top 20 Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 117 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UIUC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s 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 53 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago, 241 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,948. On top of their other funding sources, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State, 530 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Illinois State Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/student-life/veterans/)

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Illinois at Chicago offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Carbondale supports 11,366 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full SIUC Veteran Student Life Report

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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 51 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. In addition to receiving other benefits, 78 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read More…

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2020-2021.

DePaul also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8.Of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,957. To help with additional expenses, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

9
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying english list, Aurora has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Aurora supports 6,265 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Aurora Veteran Student Life Report

10

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 330 of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU were GI Bill® students, of which 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Western Illinois University]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

11

With a ranking of #11, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 48 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Full Northern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

12

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Northeastern Illinois University supports 7,119 students, and 147 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 83 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,460. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeastern Illinois University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 53 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Northwestern supports 22,603 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

14
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2020-2021.

EIU also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19.Among the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University, 184 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Eastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

15
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 2,389 students enrolled at Augustana College, 28 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,990. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Augustana College Veteran Student Life Report

16

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, University of Illinois at Springfield supports 4,146 students, and 214 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 106 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,253. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 UIS Veteran Student Life Report

17
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 1,636 students enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,755. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Illinois Wesleyan University Veteran Student Life Report

18
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Knox College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.According to our most recent data, Knox supports 1,154 students, and 15 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,371. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergraduate 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Knox College]](/colleges/knox-college/student-life/veterans/)

19
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 1,583 students enrolled at Lake Forest College, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,079. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Full Lake Forest College Veteran Student Life Report

20
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English for a Bachelor’s list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 56 of the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois were GI Bill® students, of which 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,675. To help with additional expenses, 29 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Wheaton College Illinois Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options