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2023 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree Schools

579 Colleges
$28,150 Avg Salary
$24,054 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree School for You

In 2020-2021, 54,635 people earned a degree or certificate in English language and literature, making the major the #17 most popular in the United States.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 579 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for English language and literature majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Top 25 Top Schools for a Bachelor's in English Language & Literature

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in the United States for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Full English Language & Literature at Stanford University Report

#2

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Colgate University is a great place for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hamilton.

Full English Language & Literature at Colgate University Report

#3

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Wake Forest University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in the United States. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem.

Full English Language & Literature at Wake Forest University Report

#4

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

Full English Language & Literature at University of Notre Dame Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Lexington, VMI is a public college with a small student population.

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#6

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of New Haven.

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#7

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

With a ranking of #7, Dartmouth College did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Hanover.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Dartmouth College

#8

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

With a ranking of #8, Georgetown University did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Full English Language & Literature at Georgetown University Report

#9

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Located in the midsize city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.

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#10

Duke University

Durham, NC

Duke University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for English language and literature students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #10 on the list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

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#11

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Vassar College ranked #11 on this year’s Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Poughkeepsie.

Full English Language & Literature at Vassar College Report

#12

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

Lafayette College ranked #12 on this year’s Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Easton, Lafayette is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#13

American University

Washington, DC

American University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at American University

#14

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA

With a ranking of #14, Gettysburg College did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Gettysburg, Gettysburg is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#15

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

Trinity College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Hartford, Trinity Bantams is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#16

St. Mary's University

San Antonio, TX

With a ranking of #16, St. Mary’s University did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. St. Mary's is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio.

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#17

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, NJ

With a ranking of #17, Monmouth University did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the suburb of West Long Branch, Monmouth is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Monmouth University

#18

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

Wellesley College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Located in the suburb of Wellesley, Wellesley is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Wellesley College

#19

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

With a ranking of #19, University of Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Full English Language & Literature at University of Chicago Report

#20

Villanova University

Villanova, PA

Villanova University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. Villanova is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Villanova University

#21

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Full English Language & Literature at Carnegie Mellon University Report

#22

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full English Language & Literature at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report

#23

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best English Language & Literature Bachelor’s Degree Schools ranking. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

Read More…

#24

National University

La Jolla, CA

National University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for English language and literature students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at National University

The College of New Jersey landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best bachelor’s degree English language and literature programs. TCNJ is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Ewing.

Full English Language & Literature at The College of New Jersey Report

Rest of the Top 50 Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree Schools

#27

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX
#28

Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT
#29

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD
#30

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD
#31

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI
#32

Williams College

Williamstown, MA
#33

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN
#34

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL
#35

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI
#36

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA
#37

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
#38

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, MN
#39

Brown University

Providence, RI
#41

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH
#43

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT
#44

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA
#46

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA
#48

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD
#50

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 579 different United States English language and literature schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
52 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
53 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
54 Rice University Houston, TX
55 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
56 University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA
57 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
58 Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ
59 Iowa State University Ames, IA
60 Drake University Des Moines, IA
61 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
62 Towson University Towson, MD
63 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
64 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
65 Carleton College Northfield, MN
66 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
67 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
68 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
69 Northeastern University Boston, MA
70 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
71 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
72 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
73 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
74 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
75 University of Dallas Irving, TX
76 Tufts University Medford, MA
77 University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI
78 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
79 Amherst College Amherst, MA
80 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ
81 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
82 Miami University - Hamilton Hamilton, OH
83 University of San Diego San Diego, CA
84 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
85 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
86 North Central College Naperville, IL

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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
87 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
88 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
89 University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI
90 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
91 University of Houston Houston, TX
92 Augusta University Augusta, GA
93 Emory University Atlanta, GA
94 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
95 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
96 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
97 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
98 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
99 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
100 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
101 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
102 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
103 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
104 Denison University Granville, OH
105 Sewanee - The University of the South Sewanee, TN
106 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
107 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
108 Auburn University Auburn, AL
109 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
110 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
111 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
112 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
113 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
114 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
115 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA

English Language & Literature by Region

View the Best English Language & Literature Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
General English Literature 40,481
Writing Studies 12,529
English Literature (Other) 942
Literature 683

Majors Similar to English Language & Literature

Related Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 556,813
Visual & Performing Arts 149,215
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 33,333
Theology & Religious Vocations 27,459
Philosophy & Religious Studies 19,993

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Mike Hazard.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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