2021 Best Colleges for English Language & Literature
Approximately 55,573 English language and literature degrees were granted to students last year in the United States. With so many options it can be difficult finding the best choice. This year's Best Colleges for English Language & Literature ranking analyzed 430 colleges and universities that offer a bachelor's degree in English language and literature. We look at over 20 factors to determine the top 25 colleges for English Language & Literature students.
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Choosing a Great English Language & Literature School
Your choice of English language and literature school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list a school must excel in the following areas.
Overall Quality is a Must
The overall quality of a school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Over 80% of the schools in this list are in the top 8% of our overall quality ranking while the lowest ranked school on the list is still in the top 16%.
Better Early and Mid Career Salaries
English Language & Literature graduates from schools on this list tend to earn more after college than those from other schools. A English language and literature bachelors degree from a school in the United States helped students who graduated in 2015-2017 make $27,043 a couple years later.
Other Factors We Consider
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on English Language & Literature students vs. other majors.
- Major Popularity - How many other English language and literature students choose this school.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or a recognized English language and literature related accrediting body.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for English Language & Literature students.
Best Schools to Study English Language & Literature in United States
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for English language and literature majors. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list. Of the 430 schools analyzed, only 25 earned the distinction of being on this list.
Top 25 Best English Language & Literature Colleges
It is difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you wish to pursue English language and literature as a major. Located in the city New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 32 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Columbia also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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It's hard to beat Georgetown University if you want to study English language and literature. Located in the city Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 55th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.
There are approximately 112 English language and literature undergraduates studying this degree at Georgetown.
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Every student who is interested in English language and literature has to take a look at University of Washington - Seattle Campus. Located in the large city Seattle, UW Seattle is a public college with a very large student population. This school ranks 97th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There are about 241 English language and literature undergraduates studying this degree at UW Seattle.
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It's hard to beat Duke University if you wish to study English language and literature. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of 2 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Duke is a great school overall.
Duke University is one of the most popular college to study English language and literature in United States with more than 66 graduates last year.
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Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of 13 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Brown is a great college overall.
There are approximately 147 English language and literature undergraduates enrolled in this degree at Brown.
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UT Austin is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin. This college ranks 91st out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
There are approximately 330 English language and literature undergrads studying this program at UT Austin.
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Located in the large city Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 19 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, UChicago also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship).
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Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester. A Best Colleges rank of 31 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Holy Cross is a great school overall.
With 67 undergraduates, College of the Holy Cross is one of most popular schools to study English language and literature in United States.
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UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. This college ranks 69th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
For those interested in something more advanced, UC Berkeley also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship).
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UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of 9 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great college overall.
With 82 students enrolled, University of Pennsylvania is one of most popular schools to study English language and literature in United States.
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Located in the city Coral Gables, U Miami is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. This college ranks 103rd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.
University of Miami is a fairly popular college to study English language and literature in United States with over 59 graduations last year.
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Located in the large city Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 34 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Emory is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, Emory also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship).
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Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of 3 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great college overall.
There are roughly 128 English language and literature undergraduates enrolled in this program at Harvard.
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Williams is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Williamstown. A Best Colleges rank of 7 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Williams is a great college overall.
A popular choice for English language and literature undergraduates, there are roughly 60 learners enrolled in this program at Williams.
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GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. This college ranks 271st out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There are approximately 373 English language and literature undergrads enrolled in this program at GMU.
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Barnard is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. This school ranks 77th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
With 68 undergraduates, Barnard College is one of most popular schools to study English language and literature in United States.
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Located in the city Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 75th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
Brandeis University is a fairly popular school to study English language and literature in United States with over 45 graduates last year.
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U of Michigan is a fairly large public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of 38 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means U of Michigan is a great college overall.
For those interested in something more advanced, U of Michigan also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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UCLA is a very large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles. This college ranks 65th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
For those interested in something more advanced, UCLA also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship).
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Binghamton University is a large public school located in the suburb of Vestal. This school ranks 177th out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
For those interested in something more advanced, Binghamton University also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Doctor's Degree (Research / Scholarship).
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Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chestnut Hill. This college ranks 61st out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.
With 124 undergraduates, Boston College is one of most popular schools to study English language and literature in United States.
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Located in the large suburb Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 14 out of 1,715 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great school overall.
There are roughly 84 English language and literature undergraduates enrolled in this program at Notre Dame.
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Located in the fringe town Oxford, Miami of Ohio is a public school with a fairly large student population. This school ranks 230th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.
There are roughly 185 English language and literature undergraduates enrolled in this program at Miami of Ohio.
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University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville. This school ranks 42nd out of 1,715 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
For those interested in something more advanced, University of Virginia also offers 2 different higher degree levels in English language and literature, the most popular of which is a Master's Degree.
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Located in the city Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of 11 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means Rice is a great college overall.
A popular choice for English language and literature undergraduates, there are roughly 35 students enrolled in this degree at Rice.
More… Request InformationRest of the Top Best Colleges for English Language & Literature
Additional Award Winners
This list shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Colleges for English Language & Literature badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 430 different United States English language and literature schools we analyzed.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL |
| 52 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY |
| 53 | University of California - Riverside | Riverside, CA |
| 54 | Monmouth University | West Long Branch, NJ |
| 55 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 56 | Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA |
| 57 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester, PA |
| 58 | Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 59 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
| 60 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 61 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 62 | Drake University | Des Moines, IA |
| 63 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
| 64 | Mills College | Oakland, CA |
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Colleges for English Language & Literature award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | Tufts University | Medford, MA |
| 66 | Oberlin College | Oberlin, OH |
| 67 | Northeastern University | Boston, MA |
| 68 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 69 | Kenyon College | Gambier, OH |
| 70 | Saint Anselm College | Manchester, NH |
| 71 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI |
| 72 | Sewanee - The University of the South | Sewanee, TN |
| 73 | Truman State University | Kirksville, MO |
| 74 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
| 75 | Arizona State University - Tempe | Tempe, AZ |
| 76 | Smith College | Northampton, MA |
| 77 | Rhodes College | Memphis, TN |
| 78 | Lewis & Clark College | Portland, OR |
| 79 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 80 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 81 | Assumption University | Worcester, MA |
| 82 | Bryn Mawr College | Bryn Mawr, PA |
| 83 | Texas A&M University - College Station | College Station, TX |
| 84 | Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley, MA |
| 85 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY |
| 86 | University of Denver | Denver, CO |
English Language & Literature by Region
View the Best Colleges for English Language & Literature for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| The Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to English Language & Literature
English Language & Literature Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General English Literature | 42,666 |
| Writing Studies | 14,629 |
| English Literature (Other) | 1,163 |
| Literature | 841 |
View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >
Most Popular Majors Related to English Language & Literature
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 547,539 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | 153,295 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 34,386 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 32,172 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 16,252 |
View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Mike Hazard. More about our data sources and methodologies.
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