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2025 Best English Language & Literature Schools in New York

45 Colleges in New York
4,343 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.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 45 schools in New York to determine which ones were the best for english language & literature students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,343 degrees in english language & literature annually.

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

Choosing a Great English Language & Literature School

Best English Language & Literature Schools in New York 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

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 New York. 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 New York

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 New York Schools in English Language & Literature

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
291 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$37,160 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in english language & literature. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 291 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the english language & literature program at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $4,546 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in english language & literature from Columbia University in the City of New York

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
16.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in english language & literature needs to look into Fordham University. Fordham U is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Bronx. A Best Colleges rank of #67 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Fordham U is a great university overall.

There were roughly 131 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U 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 earnings of $26,652.

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

Sponsored
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
79 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$33,270 Median Starting Salary

Cornell University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in english language & literature. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 79 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. After graduation, english language & literature degree recipients typically make around $33,270 at the beginning of their careers.

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

4
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$48,008 Median Starting Salary

Colgate University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in english language & literature. Located in the rural area of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #133 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Colgate is a great university overall.

There were approximately 37 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent data year. English Language & Literature degree recipients from Colgate University receive an earnings boost of about $15,395 over the average income of english language & literature majors.

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

5
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
30.0% Growth in Graduates

Barnard is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #86 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Barnard is a great college overall.

There were roughly 60 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from Barnard College receive $7,801 more than the average english language & literature graduate.

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

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
158 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$33,437 Median Starting Salary

Binghamton University is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Vestal. A Best Colleges rank of #154 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Binghamton University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 158 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Binghamton University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the english language & literature program earn an average of $33,437 for their early career.

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

7
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$25,465 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Syracuse, Syracuse is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Syracuse is a great university overall.

There were roughly 71 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, english language & literature degree recipients usually earn about $25,465 in the first five years of their career.

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

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA English in Literature Program Name

Develop your literary and cultural analysis skills to help advance your career with this specialized online degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

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

Related Programs

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$34,530 Median Starting Salary

UAlbany is a large public university located in the city of Albany. This university ranks 27th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 96 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at UAlbany in the most recent data year. After graduating, english language & literature degree recipients usually earn an average of $34,530 in the first five years of their career.

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

9
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
$30,555 Median Starting Salary

SUNY Stony Brook is a very large public university located in the suburb of Stony Brook. A Best Colleges rank of #153 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SUNY Stony Brook is a great university overall.

There were roughly 139 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Stony Brook in the most recent data year. After graduation, english language & literature degree recipients typically earn an average of $30,555 in their early careers.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
73 English Language & Literature Degrees Awarded
23.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Rochester is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Rochester. A Best Colleges rank of #82 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Rochester is a great university overall.

There were roughly 73 english language & literature students who graduated with this degree at University of Rochester in the most recent data year. Those english language & literature students who get their degree from University of Rochester make $2,440 more than the typical english language & literature grad.

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

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best English Language & Literature Schools in New York award.

Rank College Location
11 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
12 Hofstra University Hempstead, NY
13 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
14 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
15 Hunter College New York, NY

Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 1,189
Pennsylvania 38 2,599
Maryland 37 936
Delaware 33 115
District of Columbia 33 246

View All Rankings >

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 3,032
Writing Studies 959
Literature 259
English Literature (Other) 93

View All English Language & Literature Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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