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2024 Best English Language & Literature Schools

524 Colleges in the United States
54,635 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$30,352 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, english language & literature sits in the middle of the road, ranking #18 out of 38 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

College Factual looked at 524 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best English Language & Literature Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 54,635 degrees in english language & literature during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great English Language & Literature School

Best English Language & Literature Schools The english language & literature program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for English Language & Literature rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for english language & literature schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

English Language & Literature Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in English Language & Literature
Bachelor's Degrees in English Language & Literature
Master's Degrees in English Language & Literature
Doctor's Degrees in English Language & Literature

The english language & literature school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best English Language & Literature Schools. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for English Language & Literature in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of english language & literature degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in English Language & Literature

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$48,264 Median Starting Salary

Yale University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in english language & literature. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 74 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Yale University make $17,912 more than the average english language & literature student.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Yale University

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$44,251 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 57 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the english language & literature degree program at Stanford University make $13,899 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Stanford University

3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
141 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
34.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in english language & literature has to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 141 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature program at University of Pennsylvania earn $5,052 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Pennsylvania

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$39,143 Median Starting Salary

University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in english language & literature. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 67 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Notre Dame earn $8,791 more than the typical english language & literature grad.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Notre Dame

5
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$47,364 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 83 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature program at Georgetown University make $17,012 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Georgetown University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
7.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. English Language & Literature degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of approximately $4,939 above the typical earnings of english language & literature graduates.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Chicago

7
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$37,241 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 50 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Duke University make $6,889 more than the standard english language & literature graduate.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Duke University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
21.2% Growth in Graduates

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 99 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, english language & literature degree recipients usually earn about $29,896 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Northwestern University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
348 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$27,063 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 348 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program state that they receive average early career earnings of $27,063.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of California - Los Angeles

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
137 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$46,540 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Baltimore. This university ranks 1st out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were about 137 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Johns Hopkins University receive an earnings boost of approximately $16,188 above the typical earnings of english language & literature majors.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Johns Hopkins University

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$39,377 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 300 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature major at Columbia University in the City of New York make $9,024 above the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Columbia University in the City of New York

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
314 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$36,353 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 314 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $6,001 more than the average english language & literature student.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of California - Berkeley

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
195 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$32,559 Median Starting Salary

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 195 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus make $2,207 more than the standard english language & literature student.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Virginia - Main Campus

14
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
17.3% Growth in Graduates

Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were about 75 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, english language & literature degree recipients generally earn an average of $31,190 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Vanderbilt University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
352 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$34,033 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 352 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature program at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get $3,681 above the typical college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Carnegie Mellon University get an earnings boost of approximately $14,365 above the average income of english language & literature majors.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Carnegie Mellon University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
418 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$28,956 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 109 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 418 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english language & literature program earn about $28,956 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

18
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
44.1% Growth in Graduates

Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were approximately 59 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature major at Dartmouth College earn $9,418 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Dartmouth College

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$48,132 Median Starting Salary

UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 159 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park receive $17,779 more than the average english language & literature grad.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Maryland - College Park

20
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
363 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
6.1% Growth in Graduates

Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City. This university ranks 2nd out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were approximately 363 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. English Language & Literature degree recipients from University of Iowa get an earnings boost of around $3,448 over the typical earnings of english language & literature graduates.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Iowa

21
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
15.9% Growth in Graduates

Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 113 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english language & literature program make an average of $31,485 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Harvard University

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. This university ranks 8th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 103 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, english language & literature degree recipients generally make around $29,257 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of California - San Diego

23
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
16.0% Growth in Graduates

Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 50 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english language & literature program make about $28,009 for their early career.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Rice University

24
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
9.3% Growth in Graduates

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Hamilton. This university ranks 5th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 54 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Colgate University earn a boost of about $14,258 over the typical earnings of english language & literature graduates.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Colgate University

25
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
101 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$28,046 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were about 101 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program state that they receive average early career income of $28,046.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Brown University

Rest of the Top 50 Best English Language & Literature Schools

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27
28
29
30
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
31
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
32

33

34
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
35
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
36
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
37
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
38
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
39
40
41

42

43
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
44
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
45
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
46
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
47
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
48
49
50
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL

 

Remaining Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best English Language & Literature Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 524 different United States english language & literature schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
52 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
53 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
54 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
55 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
56 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
57 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
58 Fordham University Bronx, NY
59 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
60 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
61 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
62 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
63 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
64 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
65 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
66 University of Delaware Newark, DE
67 Lafayette College Easton, PA
68 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
69 Iowa State University Ames, IA
70 University of Georgia Athens, GA
71 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
72 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
73 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
74 Northeastern University Boston, MA
75 George Washington University Washington, DC
76 Clemson University Clemson, SC
77 Suffolk University Boston, MA
78 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best English Language & Literature Schools award.

Rank College Location
79 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
80 Auburn University Auburn, AL
81 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
82 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
83 National University San Diego, CA
84 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
85 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
86 Providence College Providence, RI
87 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
88 University of North Texas Denton, TX
89 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
90 Trinity College Hartford, CT
91 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
92 Williams College Williamstown, MA
93 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
94 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
95 Amherst College Amherst, MA
96 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
97 Illinois State University Normal, IL
98 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
99 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
100 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
101 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
102 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
103 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
104 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX

English Language & Literature by Region

View the Best English Language & Literature Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 40,481
Writing Studies 12,529
English Literature (Other) 942
Literature 683

View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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