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2024 Best English Language & Literature Schools in California

41 Colleges in California
7,678 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$29,193 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.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 41 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for english language & literature students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,678 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 in California 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 in California. 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 California

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.

10 Top California Schools in English Language & Literature

1
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 want to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 57 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of around $15,058 over the typical income of english language & literature graduates.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
348 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$27,063 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Los Angeles is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in english language & literature. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 348 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program report average early career earnings of $27,063.

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

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
314 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$36,353 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Berkeley is a great decision for students interested in a degree in english language & literature. UC Berkeley is a fairly 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 approximately 314 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the english language & literature degree program at University of California - Berkeley make $7,160 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
103 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
8.7% Growth in Graduates

University of California - San Diego is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in english language & literature. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were approximately 103 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, english language & literature degree recipients generally make an average of $29,257 in the first five years of their career.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
176 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$29,434 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 176 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the english language & literature program make an average of $29,434 in their early career salary.

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

6
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$43,732 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature major at Santa Clara University get $14,539 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
82 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$23,653 Median Starting Salary

USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 82 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program state that they receive average early career income of $23,653.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$25,495 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were approximately 210 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, english language & literature degree recipients generally earn about $25,495 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
87 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
14.9% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Marymount is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Marymount is a great university overall.

There were roughly 87 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent data year. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Loyola Marymount University get an earnings boost of about $4,649 over the typical earnings of english language & literature graduates.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
8.6% Growth in Graduates

UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were about 163 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the english language & literature program earn an average of $23,520 in the first couple years of their career.

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


 

Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 37 896
Oregon 37 524
Hawaii 36 111
Nevada 35 290
Alaska 33 52

View All Rankings >

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 6,724
Writing Studies 668
English Literature (Other) 247
Literature 39

View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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