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2023 Best Value Colleges for Literature

26 Ranked Colleges
683 Degrees Awarded
$22,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Literature Schools

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Literature Schools” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 683 people earned their degree in literature, making the major the 264th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,788 and had an average of $26,372 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Literature Schools” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree in literature. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent literature programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the literature program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Literature Schools

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More Literature 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 “Best Value Literature Schools” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

Best Value Literature Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for literature students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Literature

1
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lindenwood University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized school located in Saint Charles, Missouri that handed out 3 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,366 for Literature students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Lindenwood University

2
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Literature Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Michigan University landed the #2 spot on the list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 5 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $16,007 for Literature students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Central Michigan University

3
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purchase College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Literature Schools. This small school is located in Purchase, New York, and it awarded 23 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Purchase College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Purchase College is $17,701 for Literature students.

Full Purchase College Literature Report

4
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Michigan University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 14 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Eastern Michigan also took the #14 spot in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,127 for Literature students.

Read full report on Literature at Eastern Michigan

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Literature Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $27,058 for Literature students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Pitt

6

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Literature Schools list. Pitt Greensburg is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt Greensburg also made our “Best Literature Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $16,369 for literature students per year to attend Pitt Greensburg.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Pitt Greensburg

7

Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s literature degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $17,159 for literature students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Minnesota State University - Mankato

8
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #8, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our literature students list, Hunter has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,158 for literature students per year to attend Hunter.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter College Literature Report

9

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking. York College of Pennsylvania is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

YCP also took the #24 spot in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,233 for Literature students per year to attend YCP.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full York College of Pennsylvania Literature Report

10
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

The Graduate Center, CUNY landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s literature degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

The Graduate Center also took the #17 spot in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Literature Report

11

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking, coming in at #11. Pitt Johnstown is a small public school situated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt Johnstown also made our “Best Literature Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $17,457 for literature students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Literature Report

12
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Literature Schools list. Central Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 3 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

CWU also made our “Best Literature Schools” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Central Washington University is $16,514 for literature students.

Full Central Washington University Literature Report

13
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, George Mason University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $19,551 for Literature students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 86%.

Full George Mason University Literature Report

14
Calvin crest
Calvin University
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Calvin University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Literature Schools ranking. This small school is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 3 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Calvin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. It costs about $26,082 for literature students per year to attend Calvin.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Calvin University Literature Report

15
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

With a ranking of #15, Grand Canyon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Grand Canyon University is a large private for-profit school situated in Phoenix, Arizona. It awarded 1 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Canyon University is $20,585 for literature students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Grand Canyon University Literature Report

16

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Literature Schools ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our literature students list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for literature students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Literature at University of California - Los Angeles

17
Mills crest
Mills College
Oakland, California

Mills College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Literature Schools list. Mills is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

Mills did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. It costs about $24,949 for Literature students per year to attend Mills College.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mills College Literature Report

18
Loyola New Orleans crest
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

Loyola University New Orleans did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking, coming in at #18. Loyola New Orleans is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our literature students list, Loyola New Orleans has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,463 for literature students per year to attend Loyola University New Orleans.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Loyola New Orleans

19
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking, coming in at #19. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s literature degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our literature students list, The American University has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. It costs about $40,088 for literature students per year to attend American University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full American University Literature Report

20
Cornell College crest
Cornell College
Mount Vernon, Iowa

With a ranking of #20, Cornell College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Mount Vernon, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s literature degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Cornell College also made our “Best Literature Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Cornell College is $23,694 for Literature students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Cornell College

21
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon

With a ranking of #21, Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools list. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s literature students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our literature students list, Pacific has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. It costs about $32,045 for Literature students per year to attend Pacific.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Pacific Literature Report

22
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 136 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

NYU also made our “Best Literature Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend New York University is $38,569 for literature students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full New York University Literature Report

23
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Literature Schools ranking. New School University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at New School University, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New School University is $44,430 for literature students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Literature at The New School

24
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking, coming in at #24. Hamilton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our literature students list, Hamilton has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Literature Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamilton College is $22,107 for literature students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Literature at Hamilton

25
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Literature Schools ranking. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 6 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Literature Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $32,459 for Literature students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Literature at Duke

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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