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2023 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

21 Ranked Colleges
1,294 Degrees Awarded
$27,863 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor's

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 54,635 people earned their degree in English language and literature, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, English language and literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,352 and had an average of $23,972 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,614 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,501 and $23,846 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,294 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 21 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 as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the English language and literature program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying english language & literature.

Top 21 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 158 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3.Among the 52,679 students enrolled at UIUC, 10 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Veteran Student Life Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 89 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1.Our most recent data shows that 241 of the 17,834 students enrolled at UChicago were GI Bill® students, of which 113 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. During this same period, 58 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.According to our most recent data, Illinois State supports 20,720 students, and 530 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 163 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,997. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Illinois State University]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

SIUE also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 12,860 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full SIUE Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 33,518 students enrolled at UIC, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

6
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 16,893 students enrolled at Loyola Chicago, 261 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 165 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,263. On top of their other funding sources, 78 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Loyola Chicago offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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.

Read More…

7
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.

DePaul also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8.Our most recent data shows that 528 of the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul were GI Bill® students, of which 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. During this same period, 101 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at DePaul University]](/colleges/depaul-university/student-life/veterans/)

8
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Aurora also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15.Of the 6,265 students enrolled at Aurora University, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,999. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Aurora University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Aurora]](/colleges/aurora-university/student-life/veterans/)

9
Columbia crest
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #19 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Among the 6,769 students enrolled at Columbia, 140 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,151. During this same period, 25 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Columbia does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Columbia College Chicago]](/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/student-life/veterans/)

10

Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 330 of the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU were GI Bill® students, of which 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full WIU Veteran Student Life Report

11

Northern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU, 480 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at NIU]](/colleges/northern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

12

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 147 of the 7,119 students enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 83 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,460. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 56 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying english language & literature list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Veteran Student Life Report

14
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Of the 8,626 students enrolled at EIU, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

15
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 27 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Augustana also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10.According to our most recent data, Augustana supports 2,389 students, and 28 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,990. During this same period, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

16

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIS also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20.Of the 4,146 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Springfield, 214 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,253. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

17
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Among the 1,154 students enrolled at Illinois College, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,406. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Illinois College Veteran Student Life Report

18
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13.Our most recent data shows that 5 of the 1,636 students enrolled at Illinois Wesleyan University were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,755. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Read More…

19
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list.Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 1,154 students enrolled at Knox were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,371. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Knox College]](/colleges/knox-college/student-life/veterans/)

20
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9.Among the 1,583 students enrolled at Lake Forest College, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,079. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

21
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for English Language & Literature for a Bachelor’s list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree vets studying english language & literature list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking.Of the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois, 56 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,675. To help with additional expenses, 29 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Wheaton College Illinois Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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