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2023 Best General English Literature Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

20 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
$29,100 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in general English literature. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general English literature programs as well as strong veteran support.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the general English literature program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English

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

Top 20 Best General English Literature Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 130 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 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. 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.

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 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 Urbana-Champaign Veteran Student Life Report

2
UChicago crest
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 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 68 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 241 of the 17,834 students enrolled at University of Chicago were GI Bill® students, of which 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 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 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Chicago]](/colleges/university-of-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 137 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Illinois State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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%.

Read More…

4

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville supports 12,860 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. To help with additional expenses, 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 SIUE Veteran Student Life Report

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 list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 110 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 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 $23,878. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIC offers 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UIC]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

6

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 20 degrees to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, SIUC supports 11,366 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 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 Southern Illinois University Carbondale]](/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/student-life/veterans/)

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking, coming in at #7. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying english list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Loyola Chicago supports 16,893 students, and 261 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 165 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. On top of their other funding sources, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Chicago 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 degrees to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul University, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. On top of their other funding sources, 101 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 DePaul Veteran Student Life Report

9
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking, coming in at #9. Aurora is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Aurora University supports 6,265 students, and 3 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 $6,999. 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.

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%.

Read More…

10

Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 29 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. WIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

11

Northern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying english list, NIU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

12

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying english list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 82 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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 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%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwestern University]](/colleges/northwestern-university/student-life/veterans/)

14
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking, coming in at #14. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 46 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, EIU supports 8,626 students, and 184 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 46 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. EIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

15
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking, coming in at #15. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Augustana also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Augustana College supports 2,389 students, and 28 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,990. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Augustana]](/colleges/augustana-college-illinois/student-life/veterans/)

16

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 4,146 students enrolled at UIS, 214 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,253. During this same period, 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 University of Illinois at Springfield 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 ranking. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 1,636 students enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan, 5 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,755. To help with additional expenses, 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

18
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English ranking, coming in at #18. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

Knox also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 1,154 students enrolled at Knox, 15 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,371. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. 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 full report on veteran student life at Knox]](/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 ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Lake Forest supports 1,583 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 7 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,079. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for 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%.

Read More…

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 list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois, 56 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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