Find Affordable College Courses

What Do You Want to Study?

Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

2023 Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

21 Colleges
$28,501 Avg Salary
$23,846 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best English Language & Literature School for You

English Language & Literature is the #21 most popular major in Illinois with 1,599 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 21 schools in Illinois to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best English Language & Literature Colleges.

Top 10 Best English Language & Literature Schools

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the best school in Illinois for English language and literature students. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at UChicago take out is $17,166.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at University of Chicago

Request Information
#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

On average, English language and literature graduates from Northwestern take out $17,790 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full English Language & Literature at Northwestern University Report

Request Information

Out of the 21 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at UIUC take out is $21,184. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $335.

Read More…

Request Information
#4

North Central College

Naperville, IL

The excellent programs at North Central College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in Illinois. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville.

English Language & Literature majors at North Central take out an average of $26,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

Request Information

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.

After completing their degree, English language and literature graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $21,500. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $342, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

Request Information
#6

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for English language and literature students. It came in at #6 on the list. Illinois Wesleyan is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bloomington.

Read More…

Request Information
#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

With a ranking of #7, Augustana College did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Rock Island.

After completing their degree, English language and literature graduates from Augustana carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Read More…

Request Information

With a ranking of #8, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population.

On average, English language and literature graduates from Loyola Chicago take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $692.

Full English Language & Literature at Loyola University Chicago Report

Request Information

With a ranking of #9, Western Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for English language and literature students. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

On average, English language and literature graduates from WIU take out $22,625 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

Request Information

Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for English language and literature students. It came in at #10 on the list. NIU is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

English Language & Literature majors at NIU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $203.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Northern Illinois University

Request Information

Best English Language & Literature Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 937
Michigan 1,125
Ohio 1,678
Wisconsin 789

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 21 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.

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.