Best English Language and Literature colleges in the U.S. 2023
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!
About 40,000 years ago, the first human wrote down a story — albeit it was a simple depiction on a cave wall, but an idea and message was delivered to other humans even centuries later all the same. Since then, throngs of talented writers have put ink to paper, fingers to typewriter, and hands to keyboard to fill our libraries with works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and prose, both long and short. Authors filled pages upon pages with writings that captured moments in history, truths of human nature, ideas of what the future held. Those insights, those tastes of cultures and classes and past zeitgeists are waiting to be remembered and experienced. And you can discover them and live vicariously through the words of our Western world’s greatest authors — as an English language and literature major.
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Brown University offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2020, 83 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 76 Bachelor's degrees, 6 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Master's degree.
University of Notre Dame offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 60 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 50 Bachelor's degrees, 8 Doctoral degrees, and 2 Master's degrees.
Degree Programs: English, Comparative Literature
Berkeley, also known as “Cal,” is recognized for its laboratories, research, notable faculty, publications, and — get excited now — libraries. This public university boasts a student population of more than 27,000 with over a thousand student organizations (weekly reading group anyone?). And it is situated in the San Francisco Bay area, so you’ll have plenty to points of inspiration around the city. The English major sits at the top of Berkeley’s most popular majors, but the university also offers comparative literature. “Our courses in literature have many different focuses: major authors, historical periods, genres, critical theories and methods, as well as cultural and multicultural studies.” The comparative literature major requires courses in Shakespeare, literature before 1800, and literature from Chaucer through the 20th century that includes British, American, and Anglophone writing. As an English major studying literature, you can tuck yourself away in one of the large libraries that together take up 12 acres of campus — like Doe Memorial Library or Bancroft Library — and stay there for the next four years. If you do find yourself outside of the aisles of books, you may come across student activism about the latest hot social topic or a Greek organization event.
Boston College offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2020, 170 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 142 Bachelor's degrees, 26 Master's degrees, and 2 Doctoral degrees.
Johns Hopkins University offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 31 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 23 Bachelor's degrees, 7 Master's degrees, and 1 Doctoral degree.
Tufts University offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 64 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 51 Bachelor's degrees, 10 Doctoral degrees, and 3 Master's degrees.
Northwestern University offers 4 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2020, 72 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 54 Bachelor's degrees, 11 Doctoral degrees, and 7 Master's degrees.
University of Virginia-Main Campus offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a small suburb. In 2020, 214 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 187 Bachelor's degrees, 17 Master's degrees, and 10 Doctoral degrees.
University of Southern California offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 43 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 34 Bachelor's degrees, 5 Doctoral degrees, and 4 Master's degrees.
The University of Texas at Austin offers 3 English Language and Literature, General degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 211 English Language and Literature, General students graduated with students earning 192 Bachelor's degrees, 10 Master's degrees, and 9 Doctoral degrees.
Find local colleges with English Language and Literature majors in the U.S.
List of all English Language and Literature colleges in the U.S.
| School | Average Tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Brown University Providence, RI | 12 : 1 | 9,948 | |
|
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | 11 : 1 | 12,809 | |
|
University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 23 : 1 | 42,327 | |
|
Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | 17 : 1 | 14,934 | |
|
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | 20 : 1 | 28,890 | |