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2024 Best General English Literature Schools

495 Colleges in the United States
37,414 English Degrees Awarded
$29,879 Avg Early-Career Salary
General English Literature is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #24 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

College Factual reviewed 495 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of general english literature. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 37,414 degrees in general english literature during the 2021-2022 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General English Literature School

Best General English Literature Schools Your choice of general english literature school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General English Literature School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

General English Literature Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in English
Bachelor's Degrees in English
Master's Degrees in English
Doctor's Degrees in English

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best General English Literature Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for General English Literature in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the english degrees they offer, see the list below. 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

1
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 English Degrees Awarded
1.3% Growth in Graduates

Yale University is a great option for students pursuing a degree in general english literature. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were about 75 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at Yale University get $18,385 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Yale University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 English Degrees Awarded
$44,251 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 41 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Stanford University earn a boost of approximately $14,372 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Stanford University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 English Degrees Awarded
$35,404 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in general english literature needs to look into University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 88 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Pennsylvania earn $5,525 more than the average english grad.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 English Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in general english literature. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 70 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at University of Notre Dame earn $9,264 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 English Degrees Awarded
$35,291 Median Starting Salary

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

There were about 64 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $5,412 more than the standard english grad.

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

6
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 English Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

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

There were approximately 85 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at Georgetown University earn $17,485 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Georgetown University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 English Degrees Awarded
$38,726 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 117 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $8,847 more than the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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

8
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 English Degrees Awarded
21.4% Growth in Graduates

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

There were roughly 56 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature major at Duke University make $7,362 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Duke University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 English Degrees Awarded
$29,896 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 73 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn around $29,896 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Northwestern University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
293 English Degrees Awarded
$27,063 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 293 general english 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 program report average early career income of $27,063.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 English Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 70 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program report average early career income of $31,190.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Vanderbilt University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 English Degrees Awarded
$31,616 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 231 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the english program make an average of $31,616 for their early career.

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

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 English Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 210 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus receive $2,680 more than the average english grad.

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

14
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
69 English Degrees Awarded
$31,485 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 69 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career income of $31,485.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Harvard University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 English Degrees Awarded
$33,267 Median Starting Salary

UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 115 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature major at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign get $3,388 more than the average graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 English Degrees Awarded
$48,132 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 36 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 136 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park make $18,252 more than the typical english grad.

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

17
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 English Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 47 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at Emory University get $14,008 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Emory University

18
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 English Degrees Awarded
7.0% Growth in Graduates

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Providence. This university ranks 1st out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were approximately 71 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the english program earn around $28,046 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Brown University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 English Degrees Awarded
$31,451 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 117 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program report average early career income of $31,451.

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

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 English Degrees Awarded
$39,770 Median Starting Salary

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

There were approximately 32 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at Dartmouth College make $9,891 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Dartmouth College

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 English Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 138 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at University of Washington - Seattle Campus make $14,538 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 English Degrees Awarded
$30,744 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a very large public university located in the large city of Austin. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 179 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career income of $30,744.

More information about a degree in general english literature from The University of Texas at Austin

23
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 English Degrees Awarded
$28,009 Median Starting Salary

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

There were roughly 39 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the english program make around $28,009 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Rice University

24
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 English Degrees Awarded
$44,610 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 5th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 37 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Colgate University earn a boost of about $14,731 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Colgate University

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 English Degrees Awarded
$35,931 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 76 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Those general english literature students who get their degree from Michigan State University earn $6,052 more than the average english student.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Michigan State University

Rest of the Top Best General English Literature Schools

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31
32

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34
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
35
36
37
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
38
39
40
41

42
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

43
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
44
45
46
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
47
48
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50

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best General English Literature Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 495 different United States general english literature schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
52Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
53Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
54University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
55University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
56Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
57George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
58Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
59Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
60Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
61Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
62University of IowaIowa City, IA
63National UniversitySan Diego, CA
64Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
65University of DelawareNewark, DE
66Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
67Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
68University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
69William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
70University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
71Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
72University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
73California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
74University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for General English Literature students that almost earned our Best General English Literature Schools award.

RankCollegeLocation
75Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA
76The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
77University of DaytonDayton, OH
78Providence CollegeProvidence, RI
79Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA
80San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
81The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
82University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
83University of RochesterRochester, NY
84Monmouth UniversityWest Long Branch, NJ
85Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
86Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
87Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
88Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
89Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
90Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
91The College of New JerseyEwing, NJ
92Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
93University of North TexasDenton, TX
94Sewanee - The University of the SouthSewanee, TN
94University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
95University of KansasLawrence, KS
96Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
97University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
98Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA
99Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA

General English Literature by Region

View the Best General English 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 >

General English Literature is one of 9 different types of English Language & Literature programs to choose from.

English Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
English37,414

View All English Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Writing Studies13,544
English Literature (Other)977
Literature769

View All English Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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