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2025 Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

18 Colleges in Illinois
1,500 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$32,613 Avg Early-Career Salary
English Language & Literature is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks #18 out of the 38 majors across the country that we analyze each year. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 18 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of english language & literature. Combined, these schools handed out 1,500 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 Illinois Your choice of english language & literature school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall English Language & Literature School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

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

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

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 English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

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.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for English Language & Literature in Illinois

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the english language & literature degree levels they offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in English Language & Literature

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$31,748 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat Northwestern University if you want to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 86 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 wages of $31,748.

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

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
143 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$33,385 Median Starting Salary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in english language & literature. UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 143 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the english language & literature program earn about $33,385 in the first couple years of working.

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

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Bachelors Degree Type
BA in English Language & Literature Program Name

Turn your love of reading and writing into a career with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in English Language & Literature from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$39,563 Median Starting Salary

Illinois State University is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in english language & literature. Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 120 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Illinois State University earn $6,950 more than the standard english language & literature student.

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

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$31,066 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Chicago if you wish to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 102 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, english language & literature degree recipients generally make an average of $31,066 in their early careers.

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

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 66 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. After graduation, english language & literature degree recipients generally make about $28,640 in their early careers.

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

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
31.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #407 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wheaton College Illinois is a great college overall.

There were roughly 47 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Wheaton College Illinois in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the english language & literature program make about $32,723 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Wheaton College Illinois

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #529 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.

There were about 63 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, english language & literature degree recipients usually earn about $34,238 in their early careers.

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

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Bachelors Degree Type
BA English in Literature Program Name

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More information about a degree in BA English in Literature from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$34,662 Median Starting Salary

DePaul is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from DePaul University earn $2,049 more than the standard english language & literature graduate.

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

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
62 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
11.3% Growth in Graduates

SIUE is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Edwardsville. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 62 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at SIUE 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 earnings of $31,420.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

10
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$19,775 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 21st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 21 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, english language & literature degree recipients usually earn around $19,775 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Augustana College

Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best English Language & Literature Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

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

View All Rankings >

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 1,147
Writing Studies 341
English Literature (Other) 8
Literature 4

View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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