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2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

27 Ranked Colleges
1,707 Degrees Awarded
$20,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 27 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English language and literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great English language and 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 English language and literature program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for English Language & Literature in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 188 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 97 degrees to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 full report on English Language & Literature at UIC

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students with aid list, GSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,077 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid per year to attend GSU.

Full GSU English Language & Literature Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 85 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Northern Illinois University

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 42 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Full EIU English Language & Literature Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 77 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Northeastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 64 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

Full SIUE English Language & Literature Report

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #15 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for illinois english language & literature students with aid per year to attend Aurora.

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 University

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State University English Language & Literature Report

#10

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Full Northwestern University English Language & Literature Report

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students with aid list, WIU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

Read more about English Language & Literature at WIU

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 38 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale English Language & Literature Report

#13

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students with aid list, Elmhurst has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst English Language & Literature Report

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $16,562 for illinois english language & literature students with aid per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College English Language & Literature Report

#15

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language & literature students with aid list, McKendree has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,844 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid per year to attend McKendree.

Read more about English Language & Literature at McKendree University

#16

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. National Louis University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,957 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Read more about English Language & Literature at NLU

#17

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #5 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Wheaton College Illinois

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 20 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #11 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,874 for illinois english language & literature students with aid per year to attend Augustana College.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Augustana College

#19

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Knox

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #9 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois English Language & Literature students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at North Central College

#21

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 96 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 100%.

Full University of Chicago English Language & Literature Report

#22

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Roosevelt is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Roosevelt University

#23

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Illinois Wesleyan is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $26,039 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

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.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Illinois Wesleyan

#24

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia College Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 78 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Chicago is $31,099 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Columbia College Chicago

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois english language & literature students with aid.

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 full report on English Language & Literature at DePaul University

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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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