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2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

67 Ranked Colleges
2,675 Degrees Awarded
$10,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 56,860 people earned their degree in English language and literature, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, English language and literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,873 and had an average of $24,681 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 3,492 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,333 and $23,703 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,675 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 67 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English language and literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great English language and literature programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the English language and literature program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank English Language & Literature Schools

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 English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 28 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $5,273 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WUSTL.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Washington University in St Louis

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 336 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 about English Language & Literature at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#3

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k list, Carleton has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $9,579 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Carleton College

Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #4 spot on the list. UMN Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $4,230 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of Minnesota - Morris

#5

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Truman State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school handed out 95 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Truman State University

#22 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 44 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 UMN Duluth English Language & Literature Report

#9 in overall quality

Iowa State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 93 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University English Language & Literature Report

#8

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

Grinnell College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Grinnell, Iowa, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grinnell, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grinnell College is $11,945 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 English Language & Literature at Grinnell College

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,757 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at University of Northern Iowa

#14 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mizzou.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Mizzou

#8 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 70 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNL, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,216 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNL.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full UNL English Language & Literature Report

#12

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,459 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at St. Olaf

#13

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #7 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $11,092 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at UND

#14

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,401 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at UMSL

With a ranking of #15, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 51 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $10,490 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English Language & Literature at UNOMAHA

#16

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#17 in overall quality

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 190 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $12,975 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 about English Language & Literature at University of Iowa

#17

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#16 in overall quality

South Dakota State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $15,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at South Dakota State

#18

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $10,688 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saint Cloud State University English Language & Literature Report

#19

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WSC is $10,333 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full WSC English Language & Literature Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,057 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Minnesota State Mankato

#21

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Winona, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,381 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Winona State University English Language & Literature Report

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,524 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at North Dakota State University

#23

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Washburn University is a medium-sized school located in Topeka, Kansas that handed out 21 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,054 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washburn University.

Full Washburn University English Language & Literature Report

#24

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pittsburg, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,638 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pittsburg State University.

Full Pitt State English Language & Literature Report

#25

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

With a ranking of #25, Emporia State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. ESU is a medium-sized school located in Emporia, Kansas that handed out 8 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $11,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Emporia State University

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mike Hazard.

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