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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

26 Ranked Colleges
1,368 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 56,860 people earned their degree in English language and literature, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, English language and literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,873 and had an average of $24,681 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 1,707 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,329 and $24,956 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,368 English language and literature graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English language and literature. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality English language and literature programs that also have a lower cost than 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 English language and literature program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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.

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

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 Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $3,995 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about English Language & Literature at UChicago

#3 in overall quality

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 #3 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 161 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $8,464 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at UIUC

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 84 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at University of Illinois at Chicago

#19 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 55 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville English Language & Literature Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 60 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Northern Illinois University

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Governors State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,046 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Governors State University

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #18 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at EIU

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 108 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 Illinois State English Language & Literature Report

#10

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Knox College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox College is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 43 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #16 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,186 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox.

The low 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%. 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.

Full Knox English Language & Literature Report

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $13,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 English Language & Literature at Aurora

#17 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 47 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University English Language & Literature Report

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 26 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Illinois College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College also took the #22 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,454 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois College.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Illinois College

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Elmhurst University English Language & Literature Report

#16

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #25 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full WIU English Language & Literature Report

#16

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Wheaton College Illinois

#18

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Wesleyan University is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Illinois Wesleyan English Language & Literature Report

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. McKendree University is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $16,659 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full McKendree English Language & Literature Report

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Augustana

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k list, North Central has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at North Central

#22

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $20,330 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Roosevelt English Language & Literature Report

#23

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Columbia

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $25,842 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at DePaul University

#25

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago also took the #7 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $29,788 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola 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 full report on English Language & 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mike Hazard.

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