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2024 Best General English Literature Schools

495 Colleges in the United States
40,481 English Degrees Awarded
$29,881 Avg Early-Career Salary
General English Literature is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #24 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 495 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general english literature. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 40,481 degrees in general english literature during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General English Literature School

Best General English Literature Schools Your choice of general english literature school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General English Literature School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General English Literature Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in English
Bachelor's Degrees in English
Master's Degrees in English
Doctor's Degrees in English

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General English Literature Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.


 

Best Schools for General English Literature in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the english degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in English

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 English Degrees Awarded
$48,264 Median Starting Salary

Yale University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in general english literature. Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were roughly 74 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Those general english literature students who get their degree from Yale University receive $18,383 more than the average english graduate.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Yale University

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 English Degrees Awarded
$44,251 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Stanford University if you want to pursue a degree in general english literature. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 51 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those general english literature students who get their degree from Stanford University make $14,370 more than the average english student.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Stanford University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 English Degrees Awarded
19.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in general english literature needs to check out University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 105 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of approximately $5,523 over the average income of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 English Degrees Awarded
$39,143 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in general english literature. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were roughly 60 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at University of Notre Dame get $9,262 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Notre Dame

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 English Degrees Awarded
$35,291 Median Starting Salary

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 68 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of about $5,410 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Chicago

6
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 English Degrees Awarded
$47,364 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 83 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at Georgetown University make $17,483 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Georgetown University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 English Degrees Awarded
$38,726 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 166 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York get an earnings boost of around $8,845 over the typical income of general english literature graduates.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 English Degrees Awarded
$37,241 Median Starting Salary

Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 44 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at Duke University make $7,360 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Duke University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 English Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 82 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the english program make an average of $29,896 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Northwestern University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
312 English Degrees Awarded
$27,063 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 312 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career income of $27,063.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of California - Los Angeles

11
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 English Degrees Awarded
20.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career earnings of $31,190.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Vanderbilt University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 English Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 254 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn around $31,616 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of California - Berkeley

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
186 English Degrees Awarded
$32,559 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 186 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of about $2,678 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Virginia - Main Campus

14
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 English Degrees Awarded
$31,485 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 76 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program report average early career income of $31,485.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Harvard University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 English Degrees Awarded
$33,267 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 130 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign make $3,386 more than the average english student.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
153 English Degrees Awarded
$48,132 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 153 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Maryland - College Park receive an earnings boost of around $18,251 above the typical income of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Maryland - College Park

17
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 English Degrees Awarded
$43,887 Median Starting Salary

Emory is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 45 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature major at Emory University get $14,006 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Emory University

18
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 English Degrees Awarded
$28,046 Median Starting Salary

Brown is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were about 66 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn around $28,046 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Brown University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 English Degrees Awarded
$31,451 Median Starting Salary

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. This university ranks 1st out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were approximately 150 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career earnings of $31,451.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

20
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 English Degrees Awarded
44.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were about 59 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at Dartmouth College get $9,889 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Dartmouth College

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
125 English Degrees Awarded
$44,418 Median Starting Salary

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 125 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature major at University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn $14,537 above the typical graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
187 English Degrees Awarded
$30,744 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 187 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career earnings of $30,744.

More information about a degree in general english literature from The University of Texas at Austin

23
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 English Degrees Awarded
16.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were roughly 50 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english program make an average of $28,009 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Rice University

24
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 English Degrees Awarded
9.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 5th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 54 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from Colgate University earn a boost of approximately $14,729 above the typical earnings of general english literature graduates.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Colgate University

25
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 English Degrees Awarded
$35,931 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 76 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Michigan State University receive an earnings boost of about $6,050 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Michigan State University

Rest of the Top Best General English Literature Schools

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27
28
29
30
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
31
32

33

34
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
35
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
36
37
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
38
39
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
40
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
41

42
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

43
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
44
45
46
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
47
48
49
50
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

 

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best General English Literature Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 495 different United States general english literature schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
52 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
53 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
54 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
55 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
56 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
57 George Washington University Washington, DC
58 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
59 Fordham University Bronx, NY
60 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
61 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
62 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
63 National University San Diego, CA
64 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
65 University of Delaware Newark, DE
66 Lafayette College Easton, PA
67 Auburn University Auburn, AL
68 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
69 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
70 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
71 Iowa State University Ames, IA
72 University of Georgia Athens, GA
73 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
74 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for General English Literature students that almost earned our Best General English Literature Schools award.

Rank College Location
75 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
76 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
77 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
78 Providence College Providence, RI
79 Northeastern University Boston, MA
80 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
81 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
82 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
83 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
84 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
85 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
86 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
87 Clemson University Clemson, SC
88 Trinity College Hartford, CT
89 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
90 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
91 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
92 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
93 University of North Texas Denton, TX
94 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
94 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
95 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
96 Williams College Williamstown, MA
97 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
98 Amherst College Amherst, MA
99 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA

General English Literature by Region

View the Best General English Literature Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General English Literature is one of 9 different types of English Language & Literature programs to choose from.

English Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
English 40,481

View All English Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Writing Studies 12,529
English Literature (Other) 942
Literature 683

View All English Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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