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2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

24 Ranked Colleges
1,099 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 41,945 people earned their degree in general English literature, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, general English literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,525 and had an average of $23,628 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,324 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,090 and $22,147 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,099 general English literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 24 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general English literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general English literature programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general English literature program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General English Literature (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northwestern University General English Literature Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 59 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General English Literature at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 126 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.

Read more about General English Literature at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 84 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at UIC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUE has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about General English Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NIU General English Literature Report

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $10,872 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at Governors State University

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 108 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Illinois State University

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Illinois University General English Literature Report

#10

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 42 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #4 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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 90%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois General English Literature Report

#11

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Elmhurst

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s English degrees to qualified students.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,103 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Aurora.

The low 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%.

Full Aurora University General English Literature Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #21 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on General English Literature at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Illinois College General English Literature Report

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University General English Literature Report

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $15,184 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at McKendree University

#17

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #23 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on General English Literature at Western Illinois University

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #11 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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%.

Full Augustana General English Literature Report

#19

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Galesburg, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $16,828 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Knox

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Central has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $18,889 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 General English Literature at North Central

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $20,398 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General English Literature at Roosevelt University

#22

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,120 for illinois bachelor’s degree english students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.

Read full report on General English Literature at Columbia

#23

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University General English Literature Report

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value English Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s English degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General English Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $29,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General English Literature at Loyola Chicago

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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