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2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

27 Ranked Colleges
1,707 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 1,707 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,329 and $24,956 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English language and literature. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality English language and literature programs that also have a lower cost than 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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for English Language & Literature (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 78 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern English Language & Literature Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of Chicago

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 188 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC English Language & Literature Report

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,185 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIC.

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

Read more about English Language & Literature at University of Illinois at Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 26 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,046 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full GSU English Language & Literature Report

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Northern Illinois University

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,316 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Eastern Illinois University

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 130 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University English Language & Literature Report

#10

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #16 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $19,186 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Knox College English Language & Literature Report

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $13,845 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Aurora

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,513 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Northeastern Illinois University

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 32 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Western Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about English Language & Literature at SIUC

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $12,454 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois College.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Illinois College

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $17,837 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst

#17

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 42 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wheaton College Illinois English Language & Literature Report

#18

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Illinois Wesleyan is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $19,857 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan English Language & Literature Report

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $16,659 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at McKendree University

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $16,249 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana English Language & Literature Report

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #9 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $20,128 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College English Language & Literature Report

#22

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for National Louis University is $14,403 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full National Louis University English Language & Literature Report

#23

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 18 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $20,330 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Roosevelt

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 78 degrees to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $27,397 for illinois english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Columbia

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 110 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,842 for Illinois English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePaul University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at DePaul 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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