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2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

26 Ranked Colleges
1,368 Degrees Awarded
$22,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

English Language & Literature is the 16th most popular major in the country with 56,860 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in English language and literature. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent English language and literature programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank English Language & Literature Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for English Language & Literature in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 108 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Illinois State University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 161 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on 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 that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students per year to attend UIC.

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

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

Full Northern Illinois University English Language & Literature Report

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

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

#6

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

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

#19 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, 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.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at SIUE

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students.

Full EIU English Language & Literature Report

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

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

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 26 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Aurora University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students list, Aurora has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

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

#12

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

McKendree University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. McKendree University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 10 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students per year to attend McKendree.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at McKendree University

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 42 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois English Language & Literature Report

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Illinois College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Illinois College

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 36 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students per year to attend Elmhurst University.

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%.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Elmhurst University

#16

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Roosevelt University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.

Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Roosevelt University

#17

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 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. It costs about $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students per year to attend Columbia.

Full Columbia English Language & Literature Report

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

North Central College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

North Central also made our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

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 full report on English Language & Literature at North Central College

#19

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students per year to attend Augustana.

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%. 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

#20

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 67 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul English Language & Literature Report

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 55 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Chicago is $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola Chicago English Language & Literature Report

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #22. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $26,039 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about English Language & Literature at Illinois Wesleyan

#23

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Knox College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s English language and literature students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $22,292 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 College

With a ranking of #24, School of the Art Institute of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago is $44,815 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at School of the Art Institute of Chicago

#25

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s English language and literature degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree English Language & Literature students per year to attend Northwestern.

The impressive 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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northwestern English Language & Literature Report

#25

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 84 bachelors’s English language and literature degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois bachelor’s degree english language & literature students.

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. 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%.

Read more about English Language & Literature at UChicago

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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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