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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature in California (With Aid)

50 Ranked Colleges
4,441 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 California, there were 8,031 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,517 and $22,790 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,441 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 50 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.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 California For Those Getting Aid” 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature in California (With Aid)

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 107 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 California State University - Los Angeles English Language & Literature Report

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 50 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Stanford University

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 262 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid list, CSULB has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State University - Long Beach English Language & Literature Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

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 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Fresno

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 165 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at CSUN

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 89%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Cal State Fullerton

#7 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 79 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #7 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD English Language & Literature Report

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 371 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at UCLA

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Bakersfield

#14 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 122 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full UC Irvine English Language & Literature Report

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Stanislaus

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 229 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #20 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR English Language & Literature Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 128 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid list, Sac State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento English Language & Literature Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 199 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis English Language & Literature Report

#15

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 295 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Berkeley English Language & Literature Report

#16

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #16, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at CSUSB

#17

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 200 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara English Language & Literature Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 89 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at California State University - San Marcos

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 109 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at San Diego State University

#20

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 89 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at San Jose State

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 172 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #23 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Full San Francisco State University English Language & Literature Report

#8 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 56 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo English Language & Literature Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

With a ranking of #24, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

Full Cal State East Bay English Language & Literature Report

California State University - Channel Islands came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Camarillo, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $13,558 for california bachelor’s degree english language & literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Channel Islands

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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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