Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

21 Colleges
$31,245 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$28,501 Avg Salary

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 Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 21 schools in Illinois 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.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois

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

Top 10 Best English Language & Literature Schools

$27,786 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Columbia College Chicago to be the best value school for English language and literature students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Columbia are $27,786 a year. English Language & Literature majors at Columbia take out an average of $26,922 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $540.

Full English Language & Literature at Columbia College Chicago Report

$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Illinois State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in Illinois. Illinois State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year. 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.

Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full English Language & Literature at Illinois State University Report

$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois list. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, English language and literature graduates from WIU take out $22,625 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full English Language & Literature at Western Illinois University Report

$12,064 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Northeastern Illinois University is a great value for English language and literature students. Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.

Northeastern Illinois University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,064 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, English language and literature graduates from Northeastern Illinois University carry an average student debtload of $17,750.

Read More…

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL
$12,297 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Eastern Illinois University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best English language and literature schools in Illinois. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, English language and literature graduates from EIU carry an average student debtload of $23,000.

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

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value English language and literature programs. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIUC are $17,634 a year. 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.

UIUC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois list.

Read More…

$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois ranking. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. 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 More…

$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on this year’s best value schools for English language and literature students. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year. While working on their degree, English language and literature majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $252, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on English Language & Literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

$15,603 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois ranking. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.

UIC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,603 in in-state tuition and fees each year. English Language & Literature majors at UIC take out an average of $19,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $209.

Read More…

$15,240 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language & Literature Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUC are $15,240 per year. On average, English language and literature graduates from SIUC take out $22,838 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full English Language & Literature at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Best Value English Language & Literature Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value 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.

  • 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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

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