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2023 Most Popular Colleges for French Language & Literature

560 Ranked Colleges
2,544 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended French Language Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended French Language Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 2,544 people earned their degree in French language and literature, making the major the 257th most popular in the United States.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended French Language Major” ranking, we looked at 560 colleges that offer a degree in French language and literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular French language and literature programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank French Language & Literature Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More French Language Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The french language 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 “Most Well Attended French Language Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended French Language Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for french language students.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended French Language Major. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 83 diplomas to qualified ’s French language students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 French Language & Literature at University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 560 schools in the Most Well Attended French Language Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s French language degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus French Language & Literature Report

3
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New York University
New York, New York

Out of the 560 schools in the Most Well Attended French Language Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #3 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s French language degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at NYU

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s French language students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Arizona French Language & Literature Report

4

Out of the 560 schools in the Most Well Attended French Language Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 37 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York French Language & Literature Report

6

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s French language degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 about French Language & Literature at UMCP

7

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 26 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full IU Bloomington French Language & Literature Report

8

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 24 degrees to qualified ’s French language students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at U-M

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 French Language & Literature at University of California - Berkeley

10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 25 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about French Language & Literature at UMN Twin Cities

10

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 23 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo French Language & Literature Report

12
URI crest
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. University of Rhode Island is a fairly large school located in Kingston, Rhode Island that handed out 22 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at University of Rhode Island

13
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Middlebury is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Middlebury College French Language & Literature Report

14

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 20 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at UCLA

14
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University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas

University of Arkansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking, coming in at #14. Fayetteville, Arkansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s French language degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at University of Arkansas

16

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 19 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about French Language & Literature at Ohio State University - Main Campus

17

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s French language students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at The University of Texas at Austin

17
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s French language degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at Georgia State University

17
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Oregon State University is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 17 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 85%.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at Oregon State

17

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at Pitt

17
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 17 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full KU French Language & Literature Report

22
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Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s French language students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about French Language & Literature at Vanderbilt

22
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking, coming in at #22. Hamilton College is a small school located in Clinton, New York that handed out 16 ’s French language degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hamilton French Language & Literature Report

22
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s French language degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about French Language & Literature at Vassar

22

With a ranking of #22, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s French language degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on French Language & Literature at Louisiana State University

22

Southern Methodist University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended French Language Major list. Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about French Language & Literature at SMU

22

University of North Carolina at Charlotte landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended French Language Major ranking. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNC Charlotte French Language & Literature Report

Rest of the Best 52 in Most Well Attended French Language Major

Not only did these schools make the top 52 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

28
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Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California
28
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University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
30
30
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University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
30
30
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
30
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
35
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
35
35
35
35
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Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
35
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Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri
35
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
42
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
42
Tulane crest
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
42
Furman crest
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina
45
West Point crest
United States Military Academy
West Point, New York
45
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
45
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University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
45
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College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
45
45
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
45
45
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
45
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
45
St. Lawrence crest
St Lawrence University
Canton, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended French Language Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
55Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
55Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
55Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
55Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
55University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
55University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
55Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
55University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
55Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
55San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
55Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
55Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
55Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
55Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI
69Goucher CollegeBaltimore, MD
RankCollegeLocation
69University of DenverDenver, CO
69Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
69Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
69Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
69University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA
69Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC
69Sewanee - The University of the SouthSewanee, TN
69University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
69Nazareth CollegeRochester, NY
69Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
69Wright State University - Main CampusDayton, OH
69University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
69Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
69University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
69Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
85University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
85The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
85San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
85Southern Oregon UniversityAshland, OR
85University of California - DavisDavis, CA
85University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
85Duke UniversityDurham, NC

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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