2027 Best Value Linguistics & Comparative Literature Schools in Illinois

[Linguistics & Comparative Literature](/majors/foreign-languages-linguistics/linguistics-comparative-literature/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for linguistics & comparative literature students.
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2027 Best Value Linguistics & Comparative Literature Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in linguistics & comparative literature, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Linguistics & Comparative Literature Schools
For return on investment in linguistics & comparative literature, no school beat Southern Illinois University Carbondale this year. Set in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,334 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for linguistics & comparative literature graduates is $24,500. Early-career linguistics & comparative literature graduates make about $25,921. Set against $24,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for linguistics & comparative literature. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,500 to complete the linguistics & comparative literature program here. Soon after graduation, linguistics & comparative literature degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $25,921. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #3 place for linguistics & comparative literature. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. Linguistics & Comparative Literature graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. Linguistics & Comparative Literature graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $81,002 early in their careers. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in linguistics & comparative literature will find it at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which ranked #4. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. In-state tuition and fees average $12,092. Typical student debt for linguistics & comparative literature graduates is $23,917. Soon after graduation, linguistics & comparative literature degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $54,302. Set against $23,917 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Benedictine University earned it the #5 place for linguistics & comparative literature. Located in the suburb of Lisle, Benedictine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,648. Students borrow a median of $25,338 to complete the linguistics & comparative literature program here. Soon after graduation, linguistics & comparative literature degree recipients from Benedictine University generally make around $54,212. Set against $25,338 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Benedictine University admits about 95% of applicants.
Northwestern University landed the #6 spot for linguistics & comparative literature value this year. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Typical student debt for linguistics & comparative literature graduates is $16,616. Early-career linguistics & comparative literature graduates make about $78,551. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.