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2025 Best English Language & Literature Master's Degree Schools in California

19 Colleges in California
895 Master's Degrees
$38,659 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in english language & literature sits in the middle of the road, ranking #17 out of 37 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual looked at 19 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best English Language & Literature Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 895 master's degrees in english language & literature during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great English Language & Literature School for Your Master's Degree

Best English Language & Literature Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of english language & literature for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality english language & literature program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for english language & literature students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank English Language & Literature Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More English Language & Literature Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best English Language & Literature Master's Degree Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study English Language & Literature in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in english language & literature.

10 Top California Schools for a Master's in English Language & Literature

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in english language & literature needs to take a look at University of California - Irvine. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from University of California - Irvine

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
38 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat California State University - Long Beach if you wish to pursue a master's degree in english language & literature. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from California State University - Long Beach

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
14 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in english language & literature has to look into California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in english language & literature has to check out University of Southern California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from University of Southern California

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from Loyola Marymount University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12 Annual Graduates

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from University of California - Davis

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from San Diego State University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from Chapman University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Annual Graduates

CSUN is a very large public university located in the large city of Northridge.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from California State University - Northridge

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in english language & literature from San Francisco State University

Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 31 123
Oregon 29 89
Hawaii 27 6
Nevada 27 42
Alaska 21 16

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English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 469
Writing Studies 401
English Literature (Other) 25

Majors Similar to English Language & Literature

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 1,775
Communication & Journalism 1,236
Theology & Religious Vocations 1,179
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 332
History 239
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 238
Philosophy & Religious Studies 215
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 156
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 110

Notes and References

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