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2024 Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region

87 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
6,275 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$28,767 Avg Early-Career Salary
English Language & Literature isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #18 in popularity out of 38 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 87 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for english language & literature students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 6,275 degrees in english language & literature to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great English Language & Literature School

Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of english language & literature school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall English Language & Literature School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your English Language & Literature Degree Level

Associate Degrees in English Language & Literature
Bachelor's Degrees in English Language & Literature
Master's Degrees in English Language & Literature
Doctor's Degrees in English Language & Literature

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 the Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

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.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for English Language & Literature in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the english language & literature degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in English Language & Literature

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$39,143 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Notre Dame if you want to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. A Best Colleges rank of #20 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 67 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available. English Language & Literature degree recipients from University of Notre Dame earn a boost of approximately $10,376 over the average earnings of english language & literature majors.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Notre Dame

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
7.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Chicago is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in english language & literature. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Chicago receive $6,524 more than the typical english language & literature grad.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Chicago

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
21.2% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 99 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program state that they receive average early career income of $29,896.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Northwestern University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$26,178 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in english language & literature. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 179 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the english language & literature program state that they receive average early career wages of $26,178.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$36,423 Median Starting Salary

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 111 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Michigan State University earn $7,656 more than the standard english language & literature student.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Michigan State University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
1.9% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were about 160 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison receive $12,341 more than the standard english language & literature grad.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Wisconsin - Madison

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$38,212 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 113 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the english language & literature degree program at Purdue University - Main Campus earn $9,445 above the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Purdue University - Main Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
193 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$21,966 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 193 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. After graduating, english language & literature degree recipients typically make around $21,966 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
159 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Oxford, Miami University - Oxford is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 159 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Miami University - Oxford make $8,149 more than the average english language & literature student.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Miami University - Oxford

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
182 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$35,032 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were about 182 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Ohio State University - Main Campus earn $6,265 more than the standard english language & literature graduate.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Ohio State University - Main Campus

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$34,893 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Dayton, UDayton is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 33 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature major at University of Dayton earn $6,126 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Dayton

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$35,133 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature major at Indiana University - Bloomington earn $6,366 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Indiana University - Bloomington

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
16.5% Growth in Graduates

UW - Eau Claire is a large public university located in the city of Eau Claire. This university ranks 5th out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 97 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UW - Eau Claire in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the english language & literature program at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire earn $4,698 more than the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire


 

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for English Language & Literature students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.

Rank College Location
14 Illinois State University Normal, IL
15 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
16 University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OH
17 Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Bowling Green, OH
18 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
19 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
20 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
21 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL

Best English Language & Literature Colleges by State

Explore the best english language & literature colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 911
Michigan 38 1,123
Ohio 38 1,659
Illinois 38 1,596
Wisconsin 37 783

View All Rankings >

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 4,484
Writing Studies 1,681
English Literature (Other) 77
Literature 33

View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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