2026 Best Value Literature Master’s Degree Schools
[Literature](/majors/english-language-literature/literature/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong literature education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 120 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for literature students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Literature Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the literature degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Literature Schools
For return on investment in literature, no school beat Northern Arizona University this year. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Typical student debt for literature graduates is $21,645. Early-career literature graduates make about $47,056. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in literature will find it at George Mason University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, compared with $38,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the literature program here. Literature graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $63,131 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in literature will find it at Simmons College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Boston, Simmons College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,874. Literature graduates carry a median of $26,740 in student loans. Soon after graduation, literature degree recipients from Simmons College generally make around $63,860. Set against $26,740 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New York University earned it the #4 place for literature. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Literature graduates carry a median of $21,897 in student loans. Literature graduates of New York University earn a median of $64,516 early in their careers. Set against $21,897 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.
Other Literature Degree Levels
Explore the best-value literature schools at other degree levels:
View All Literature Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 120 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
