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2025 Best General English Literature Schools

490 Colleges in the United States
37,414 English Degrees Awarded
$31,935 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 looked at 490 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General English Literature Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 37,414 degrees in general english literature to qualified students.

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 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in English

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 English Degrees Awarded
$35,838 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in general english literature needs to look into Columbia University in the City of New York. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 117 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Those general english literature students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York make $3,903 more than the typical english grad.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
293 English Degrees Awarded
$27,889 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in general english literature. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 293 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, english degree recipients typically make about $27,889 in their early careers.

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

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Bachelors Degree Type
BA in English Language & Literature Program Name

Turn your love of reading and writing into a career with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in English Language & Literature from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 English Degrees Awarded
$37,031 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general english literature. UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 115 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Those general english literature students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $5,096 more than the typical english graduate.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
117 English Degrees Awarded
$31,258 Median Starting Salary

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in general english literature. UMN Twin Cities is a fairly 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 about 117 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, english degree recipients usually earn an average of $31,258 at the beginning of their careers.

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

5
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
88 English Degrees Awarded
$40,967 Median Starting Salary

UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were about 88 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania earn a boost of approximately $9,032 above the average earnings of general english literature majors.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 English Degrees Awarded
$27,462 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 231 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. After graduating, english degree recipients typically make an average of $27,462 in their early careers.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 English Degrees Awarded
$33,742 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 116 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn an average of $33,742 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Sponsored
Masters Degree Type
MA in English Program Name

You can earn your MA in English entirely online with Southern New Hampshire University! This online English degree program can help you increase your analytical and communication skills.

More information about a degree in MA in English from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 English Degrees Awarded
2.4% Growth in Graduates

Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 colleges 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 degree program at Georgetown University make $21,064 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 English Degrees Awarded
$31,748 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 colleges 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 year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn around $31,748 in their early career salary.

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

10
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
112 English Degrees Awarded
1.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were about 112 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general english literature degree program at Boston College get $10,278 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
136 English Degrees Awarded
$36,561 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 35 colleges for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were approximately 136 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature major at University of Maryland - College Park get $4,626 above the typical college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA English in Literature Program Name

Develop your literary and cultural analysis skills to help advance your career with this specialized online degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA English in Literature from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 English Degrees Awarded
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

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 major at University of Notre Dame get $8,410 above the typical 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

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 English Degrees Awarded
$34,739 Median Starting Salary

UT Austin is a fairly 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. Those general english literature students who get their degree from The University of Texas at Austin receive $2,804 more than the average english student.

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

14
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 city of Providence. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.

There were roughly 71 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year. General English Literature degree recipients from Brown University get an earnings boost of about $18,502 above the average income of general english literature majors.

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

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 English Degrees Awarded
$27,335 Median Starting Salary

UCONN is a very large public university located in the fringe town of Storrs. This university ranks 3rd out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were approximately 135 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients generally earn about $27,335 at the beginning of their careers.

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

16
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 English Degrees Awarded
$23,579 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #23 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 79 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the english program earn an average of $23,579 for their early career.

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

17
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
351 English Degrees Awarded
$31,149 Median Starting Salary

Florida State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Tallahassee. This university ranks 2nd out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 351 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn an average of $31,149 in the first couple years of working.

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

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 English Degrees Awarded
11.4% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 210 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of approximately $8,157 over the typical earnings of general english literature majors.

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

19
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 English Degrees Awarded
$28,927 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 76 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the english program earn an average of $28,927 for their early career.

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

20
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 English Degrees Awarded
$37,643 Median Starting Salary

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were roughly 34 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. General English Literature degree recipients from Villanova University earn a boost of around $5,708 above the average income of general english literature majors.

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

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 English Degrees Awarded
$43,362 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Worcester, Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were roughly 57 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Holy Cross in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general english literature program at College of the Holy Cross earn $11,427 above the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general english literature from College of the Holy Cross

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
153 English Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 153 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine 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 $26,021.

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

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 English Degrees Awarded
$28,526 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 131 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program state that they receive average early career wages of $28,526.

More information about a degree in general english literature from University of Wisconsin - Madison

24
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 English Degrees Awarded
$26,917 Median Starting Salary

UF is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 169 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients usually make about $26,917 in their early careers.

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

25
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
140 English Degrees Awarded
$31,002 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M College Station is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station. This university ranks 1st out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 140 general english literature students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english program report average early career wages of $31,002.

More information about a degree in general english literature from Texas A&M University - College Station

Rest of the Top 50 Best General English Literature Schools

26
27
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
28
29
30
31
32
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

33

34
35
36
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
37
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
38
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
39
40
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
41

42

43
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
44
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
45
46
47
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
48
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
49
50

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best General English Literature Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 490 different United States general english literature schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Barnard College New York, NY
52 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
53 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
54 Emory University Atlanta, GA
55 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
56 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
57 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
58 Illinois State University Normal, IL
59 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
60 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
61 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
62 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
63 University of Georgia Athens, GA
64 University at Albany Albany, NY
65 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
66 George Washington University Washington, DC
67 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
68 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
69 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
70 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
71 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
72 Fairfield University Fairfield, CT
73 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
74 Trinity College Hartford, CT
75 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
76 University of North Texas Denton, TX
77 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
78 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
79 Lafayette College Easton, PA
80 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
81 Williams College Williamstown, MA
82 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
83 Clemson University Clemson, SC
84 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
85 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
86 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
87 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
88 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
89 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
90 Auburn University Auburn, AL
91 Iowa State University Ames, IA
92 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
93 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
94 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
95 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
96 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
97 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
98 University of Oregon Eugene, OR

Honorable Mentions

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

Rank College Location
99 Providence College Providence, RI
100 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
101 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
102 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
103 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
104 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
105 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
106 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
107 University of Houston Houston, TX
108 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
109 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
110 Northeastern University Boston, MA
111 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
112 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI
113 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
114 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
115 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
116 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
117 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA
118 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
119 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
120 Washington State University Pullman, WA
121 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
122 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
123 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
124 Montclair State University Montclair, NJ
125 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
126 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
127 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
128 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
129 University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC
130 University of Denver Denver, CO
131 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
132 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
133 Ball State University Muncie, IN
134 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
135 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
136 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
137 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
138 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
139 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
140 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
141 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
142 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
143 University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV
144 Smith College Northampton, MA
145 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
146 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
147 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
148 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
149 University of Dallas Irving, TX
150 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
151 Hunter College New York, NY
152 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
153 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
154 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
155 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
156 DePaul University Chicago, IL
157 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
158 Portland State University Portland, OR
159 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA
160 University of New Mexico - Main Campus Albuquerque, NM
161 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
162 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV
163 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO

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

Major Annual Graduates
English 37,414

View All English Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Writing Studies 13,544
English Literature (Other) 977
Literature 769

View All English Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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