College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Literature

105 Ranked Colleges
683 Degrees Awarded
$33,600 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Literature Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Literature Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Literature is the 264th most popular major in the country with 683 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,788 and had an average of $26,372 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Literature Major” ranking analyzed 105 colleges that offered a degree in literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular literature programs in the United States.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Literature Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Literature Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Literature Major”.

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

Out of the 105 schools in the Most Well Attended Literature Major that were part of this year’s ranking, New York University landed the #1 spot on the list. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 136 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 90%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Literature at New York University

2
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The New School. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Literature Major. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 50 degrees to qualified ’s literature students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Literature at The New School

3
Pace University crest
Pace University - New York
New York, New York

Out of the 105 schools in the Most Well Attended Literature Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Pace University - New York landed the #3 spot on the list. Pace University is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Pace University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Literature Major. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s literature students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 36 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Literature at University of California - Los Angeles

6
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #6. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 24 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at GMU

7
Purchase College crest
Purchase College
Purchase, New York

Purchase College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking. Purchase College is a public institution located in Purchase, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Literature at Purchase College

7
The American University crest
American University
Washington, District of Columbia

American University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Washington, District of Columbia, and it awarded 23 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Literature at The American University

9

Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Center for Advanced Studies On Puerto Rico and the Caribbean is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Juan, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y El Caribe Literature Report

10
Grove City College crest
Grove City College
Grove City, Pennsylvania

Grove City College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Grove City College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Literature at Grove City College

11
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Hamilton College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Clinton, New York. It awarded 18 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Hamilton Literature Report

12
Simmons crest
Simmons University
Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #12. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s literature degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Literature at Simmons

13
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

Bennington College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #13. Bennington, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s literature degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Literature at Bennington

14

Tyler Junior College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Tyler, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s literature degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

Full Tyler Junior College Literature Report

14
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Literature at Eastern Michigan University

16

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #16. Pitt Greensburg is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

17
MC crest
Mississippi College
Clinton, Mississippi

Mississippi College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking. MC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Clinton, Mississippi. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Literature at MC

18

University of Michigan - Flint ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. UM Flint is a public institution located in Flint, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Literature at UM Flint

18
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking. Duke is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 6 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Literature at Duke

20
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, Oregon

Pacific University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Pacific is located in Forest Grove, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Literature at Pacific University

20
Loyola New Orleans crest
Loyola University New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

With a ranking of #20, Loyola University New Orleans did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Loyola University New Orleans is a small school located in New Orleans, Louisiana that handed out 5 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Loyola University New Orleans

20
Gannon crest
Gannon University
Erie, Pennsylvania

Gannon University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Gannon University is a small school located in Erie, Pennsylvania that handed out 5 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Literature at Gannon

20
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 5 ’s literature degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Literature at Central Michigan University

20

Naugatuck Valley Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Literature Major list. Located in Waterbury, Connecticut, this small public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s literature students in 2020-2021.

Full Naugatuck Valley Community College Literature Report

25
AMU crest
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria, Florida

Ave Maria University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking. AMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ave Maria, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Ave Maria University Literature Report

25
Southern Adventist crest
Southern Adventist University
Collegedale, Tennessee

Southern Adventist University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking. Southern Adventist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegedale, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Literature at Southern Adventist University

25
MMC crest
Marymount Manhattan College
New York, New York

Marymount Manhattan College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Literature Major ranking, coming in at #25. MMC is located in New York, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s literature degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Literature at Marymount Manhattan College

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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