by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
English Language & Literature is the 18th most popular major in the country with 54,635 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, English language and literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $30,352 and had an average of $23,972 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major” ranking looked at 1,653 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in English language and literature. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular English language and literature programs in the United States.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
The english language & literature school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern New Hampshire University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major. Manchester, New Hampshire is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 1,333 students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 1,653 schools in the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 420 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Central Florida English Language & Literature Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Full Sail University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major. Full Sail University is a large private for-profit school situated in Winter Park, Florida. It awarded 437 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Full Sail University English Language & Literature Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Skysong. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. ASU - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 406 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 ASU - Skysong
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 377 diplomas to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about English Language & Literature at Florida State University
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 352 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 93%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities English Language & Literature Report
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 348 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles English Language & Literature Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 418 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
With a ranking of #9, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. Norfolk, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 327 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about English Language & Literature at Old Dominion University
University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 314 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of California - Berkeley
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking, coming in at #11. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 363 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
California State University - Long Beach came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 298 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad 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 California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Riverside came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 291 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #14, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 300 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York English Language & Literature Report
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school awarded 255 degrees to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 86%.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe English Language & Literature Report
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 310 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on English Language & Literature at UT Austin
Hunter College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. Hunter is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 235 ’s English language and literature degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking, coming in at #18. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 233 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read more about English Language & Literature at San Francisco State University
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 225 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about English Language & Literature at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Texas State University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 223 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Texas State University English Language & Literature Report
With a ranking of #21, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. West Chester, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language and literature degrees to 218 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about English Language & Literature at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school handed out 217 degrees to qualified ’s English language and literature students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of New Mexico - Main Campus
University of California - Davis landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 210 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of California - Davis
University of Florida ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 209 ’s English language and literature 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Emerson College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended English Language & Literature Major ranking. Emerson College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 208 ’s English language and literature degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Miami University - Oxford | Oxford, OH |
| 51 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 53 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 54 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 55 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 55 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 57 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 58 | University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO |
| 59 | Queens College | Queens, NY |
| 60 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 61 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV |
| 61 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 61 | University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT |
| 64 | University of Phoenix - Arizona | Tempe, AZ |
| 65 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 237 | College of Charleston | Charleston, SC |
| 237 | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH |
| 237 | Rutgers University - Newark | Newark, NJ |
| 244 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 244 | University of Central Oklahoma | Edmond, OK |
| 244 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 247 | El Camino College | Torrance, CA |
| 247 | Stanford University | Stanford, CA |
| 247 | University of Mississippi | University, MS |
| 247 | University of Rochester | Rochester, NY |
| 247 | Bennington College | Bennington, VT |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies