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2023 Most Popular Colleges for English in Illinois

49 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
$29,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 40,481 people earned their degree in English, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 1,251 English graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular English programs in the United States.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 137 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 English at Illinois State University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 130 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign English Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 110 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at UIC

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 82 degrees to qualified ’s English language 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Northwestern English Report

5
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 49 schools in the Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #5 spot on the list. DePaul is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 70 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full DePaul English Report

6
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 68 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 English at UChicago

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 64 ’s English language 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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola University Chicago English Report

8

Northern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about English at Northern Illinois University

9

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 51 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on English at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

10

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 49 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about English at Northeastern Illinois University

11
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on English at EIU

12
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on English at Wheaton College Illinois

13

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 29 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about English at Western Illinois University

14
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at Bradley University

15
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 22 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Elmhurst

16

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 English at University of Illinois at Springfield

16
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 20 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about English at Lake Forest

16

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

Full SIUC English Report

19
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Aurora

20
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 English at Augustana

21
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, North Park University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on English at North Park

21
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Roosevelt is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about English at Roosevelt University

21
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 13 ’s English language degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on English at Governors State University

24
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Dominican University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Dominican University is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on English at Dominican University

24
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language Major in Illinois list. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University English Report

Notes and References

References

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