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Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California

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2023 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

38 Colleges
$9,206 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$29,193 Avg Salary

Finding the Best English Language & Literature School for You

In 2020-2021, 7,609 degrees and certificates were awarded to English language and literature students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #19 most popular major in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 Value English Language & Literature Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in California to see which ones offered the best value programs for English language and literature students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California

Check out the English language and literature programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best English Language & Literature Schools

Our analysis found San Jose State University to be the best value school for English language and literature students who want to pursue a degree in California. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at San Jose State are $7,852 per year.

San Jose State also claimed a spot on our Best English Language & Literature Schools in California list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at San Jose State University

$10,195 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in California. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public school located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are $10,195 per year. The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo take out is $19,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $246, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also did well on our Best English Language & Literature Schools in California list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full English Language & Literature at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Report

#3

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA
$7,304 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means San Francisco State University is a great value for English language and literature students. Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SFSU are $7,304 per year. The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at SFSU take out is $15,375.

Full English Language & Literature at San Francisco State University Report

$7,392 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at California State University - Sacramento helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in California. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $7,392 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, English language and literature graduates from Sac State carry an average student debtload of $16,189.

Full English Language & Literature at California State University - Sacramento Report

$7,043 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means California State University - Northridge is a great value for English language and literature students. Located in the large city of Northridge, CSUN is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSUN are $7,043 a year. On average, English language and literature graduates from CSUN take out $15,648 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

$6,785 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for English language and literature students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Cal State LA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Cal State LA are $6,785 a year. While working on their degree, English language and literature majors at Cal State LA accumulate an average of around $13,942 in student debt.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Los Angeles

$6,995 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, California State University - East Bay did quite well on this year’s best value schools for English language and literature students. Located in the suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public school with a large student population.

Cal State East Bay undergraduate students pay an average of $6,995 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at Cal State East Bay take out is $16,399.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - East Bay

$6,846 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Long Beach ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.

CSULB undergraduate students pay an average of $6,846 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, English language and literature majors at CSULB accumulate an average of around $15,695 in student debt.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at California State University - Long Beach

$7,727 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - San Marcos came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California ranking. Located in the large suburb of San Marcos, CSUSM is a public school with a fairly large student population.

CSUSM undergraduate students pay an average of $7,727 in in-state tuition and fees each year. English Language & Literature majors at CSUSM take out an average of $15,989 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full English Language & Literature at California State University - San Marcos Report

$6,976 Average Tuition & Fees

California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fullerton.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal State Fullerton are $6,976 per year. The average amount in student loans that English language and literature majors at Cal State Fullerton take out is $13,846.

Read More…

Best Value English Language & Literature Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 896
Oregon 524
Hawaii 111
Nevada 290
Alaska 52

English Language & Literature Majors to Study

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

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.

  • 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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