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2023 Best General English Literature Schools

508 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.

For its 2023 ranking, College Factual looked at 508 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general English literature students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 40,481 degrees in general English literature to qualified students.

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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General English Literature Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 one of the finest schools in the country for getting 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 #15 out of 2,241 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. Degree recipients from the general English literature degree program at Yale University earn $18,383 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

Stanford University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in general English literature. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,241 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 year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Stanford University receive an earnings boost of approximately $14,370 above the typical income of general English literature majors.

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

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 English Degrees Awarded
$37,241 Median Starting Salary

Duke University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in general English literature. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 major at Duke University get $7,360 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

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

University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general English literature. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 60 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those general English literature students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $9,262 more than the average English student.

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

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 English Degrees Awarded
19.0% Growth in Graduates

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 105 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general English literature program at University of Pennsylvania earn $5,523 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 University of Pennsylvania

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 English Degrees Awarded
$35,291 Median Starting Salary

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,241 colleges 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 receive an earnings boost of about $5,410 above the average earnings of general English literature graduates.

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

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 2,241 schools 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 year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of about $8,845 over the average income of general English literature majors.

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

8
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 4th out of 143 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 54 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general English literature major at Colgate University get $14,729 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

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

Located in the small 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 2,241 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 year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the English program report average early career income of $29,896.

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

10
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. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 66 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the English program make around $28,046 in the first couple years of their career.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 English Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 254 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the English program make around $31,616 in the first couple years of their career.

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

12
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 English Degrees Awarded
$47,364 Median Starting Salary

Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. This university ranks 1st out of 8 colleges for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were roughly 83 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general English literature major at Georgetown University get $17,483 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

13
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 English Degrees Awarded
$43,018 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 51 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Wake Forest University get an earnings boost of around $13,137 above the average income of general English literature graduates.

More information about a degree in general English literature from Wake Forest University

14
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 65 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 186 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus earn a boost of about $2,678 above the typical income of general English literature graduates.

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

15
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 moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were approximately 59 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general English literature degree program at Dartmouth College get $9,889 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In MD

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 25 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general English literature from Johns Hopkins University

17
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 large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 6th out of 170 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 312 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the English program make about $27,063 for their early career.

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

18
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 English Degrees Awarded
20.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 69 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the English program make around $31,190 for their early career.

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

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 English Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 144 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the English program earn around $28,964 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general English literature from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

20
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 #12 out of 2,241 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. Soon after graduating, English degree recipients generally earn about $31,485 at the beginning of their careers.

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

21
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 English Degrees Awarded
$37,645 Median Starting Salary

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Villanova. This university ranks 4th out of 117 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 41 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Those general English literature students who get their degree from Villanova University make $7,764 more than the typical English student.

More information about a degree in general English literature from Villanova University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
153 English Degrees Awarded
$48,132 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 34 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were about 153 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Those general English literature students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park receive $18,251 more than the average English grad.

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

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
130 English Degrees Awarded
$33,267 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 87 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

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

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

24
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 69 colleges 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 year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general English literature degree program at Emory University make $14,006 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

25
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
110 English Degrees Awarded
$40,910 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 110 general English literature students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from Boston College get an earnings boost of about $11,029 above the average earnings of general English literature majors.

More information about a degree in general English literature from Boston College

Rest of the Top 50 Best General English Literature Schools

25
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
26
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
27
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
28
29
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
30
31

32

33
34
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
35
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
36
37
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
38
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
39
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
40

41
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA

42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General English Literature Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 508 different United States general English literature schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
51 Iowa State University Ames, IA
52 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
53 Trinity College Hartford, CT
54 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
55 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
56 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
57 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
58 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
59 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
60 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
61 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
62 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
63 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
64 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
65 Clemson University Clemson, SC
66 George Washington University Washington, DC
67 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
68 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
69 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
70 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
71 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
72 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
73 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
74 University of Georgia Athens, GA
75 Fordham University Bronx, NY
76 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA

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
77 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
78 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
79 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
80 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
81 Northeastern University Boston, MA
82 Carleton College Northfield, MN
83 Amherst College Amherst, MA
84 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
85 Auburn University Auburn, AL
86 University of Houston Houston, TX
87 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
88 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
89 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
90 Illinois State University Normal, IL
91 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
92 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
93 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
94 University of North Texas Denton, TX
95 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
96 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
97 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
98 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
99 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
100 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
101 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY

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
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General English Literature is one of 3 different types of English Language & Literature programs to choose from.

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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