Rankings › Social Sciences & Humanities
College Rankings
Best English Schools
The top 25 of 501 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate English degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.
Is English worth it?
The "starving artist" trope is tired, but the financial reality of an English degree is highly polarized. It absolutely pays off if you follow one of two distinct paths. Path one: elite liberal arts colleges and Ivy-adjacent universities that funnel you straight into high-paying consulting, publishing, or pre-law tracks. Path two: ultra-low-cost regional public universities with tight pipelines into local corporate communications, technical writing, or teaching. The catch? If you pay a private-school sticker price at a mid-tier institution without a clear pipeline to a lucrative industry, the math will crush you.
| # | School | State | Median earnings | Net price / yr | 10-yr net ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams College | MA | $49,340 | $17,716 | +$423K |
| 2 | Dartmouth College | NH | $45,157 | $29,519 | +$333K |
| 3 | University of Houston-Clear Lake | TX | $50,876 | $15,563† | +$447K |
| 4 | Georgetown University | DC | $52,122 | $40,815 | +$358K |
| 5 | University of Chicago | IL | $44,397 | $14,860 | +$385K |
| 6 | Texas Woman's University | TX | $38,171 | $11,963† | +$334K |
| 7 | Bowdoin College | ME | $49,421 | $14,398 | +$437K |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $37,031 | $14,355† | +$313K |
| 9 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $43,362 | $38,782 | +$278K |
| 10 | University of Virginia-Main Campus | VA | $40,092 | $21,565† | +$315K |
| 11 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $35,838 | $21,590 | +$272K |
| 12 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $34,633 | $15,846 | +$283K |
| 13 | Wofford College | SC | $34,478 | $18,732 | +$270K |
| 14 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | $34,337 | $3,148† | +$331K |
| 15 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | $31,842 | $3,203† | +$306K |
| 16 | Georgian Court University | NJ | $44,982 | $19,285 | +$373K |
| 17 | East Texas A&M University | TX | $43,470 | $11,841† | +$387K |
| 18 | The University of Texas at Arlington | TX | $40,718 | $13,951† | +$351K |
| 19 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $34,718 | $16,665† | +$281K |
| 20 | University of Michigan-Dearborn | MI | $32,758 | $9,492† | +$290K |
| 21 | Southern Methodist University | TX | $47,019 | $40,892 | +$307K |
| 22 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | $36,561 | $15,678† | +$303K |
| 23 | Princeton University | NJ | $35,178 | $6,128 | +$327K |
| 24 | CUNY Queens College | NY | $28,290 | $4,195† | +$266K |
| 25 | Brown University | RI | $50,437 | $25,184 | +$404K |
Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI
Why these schools rank where they do
Williams College takes the #1 spot because its English program is a quiet powerhouse for elite career placement. The legendary Williams alumni network (the "Eph" mafia) ensures that English majors aren't just discussing Chaucer; they are heavily recruited by top-tier management consulting firms, prestigious law schools, and New York publishing houses. Combine that elite access with a massive endowment that drastically subsidizes tuition for most students, and you get an unbeatable return on investment.
The biggest shock on this board is the sheer dominance of regional Texas universities, led by the University of Houston-Clear Lake at #3—beating out Georgetown and UChicago. This is no glitch. UH-Clear Lake sits right in the middle of the Houston aerospace and petrochemical hubs. These heavy industries are desperate for technical writers, proposal managers, and corporate communicators who can translate complex engineering concepts into readable text. Pair that massive industrial demand with rock-bottom in-state tuition, and you get a degree that pays for itself almost immediately.
You can also see the power of geography and price in the middle of the board with the City University of New York (CUNY) schools like Lehman, John Jay, and Queens. These programs leverage the ultimate geographic advantage—New York City, the media and publishing capital of the world—giving students direct access to top-tier internships while charging a fraction of what NYU or Columbia demand.
What is English?
English is the rigorous study of literature, writing, and critical analysis. Graduates do far more than read classic novels; they are trained to synthesize complex information, parse arguments, and craft compelling narratives. Day-to-day, they work as technical writers, copywriters, editors, public relations specialists, and corporate communicators—or they leverage their analytical skills in law, tech, and consulting, where sharp, persuasive communication is highly valued.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to become a teacher if I major in English?
Not at all. While education is a common and stable route, the corporate world is a massive employer of English graduates. Tech companies need UX writers and technical communicators; marketing firms need copywriters; and businesses of all sizes need professionals who can synthesize data into clear, actionable reports.
Should I double major to make my English degree more marketable?
It is highly recommended. Pairing English with a quantitative or hard skill—like computer science, economics, business, or graphic design—creates a killer resume. You become the rare candidate who understands the technical details of a product and actually knows how to explain them to clients and stakeholders.
How much does geography matter for this major?
Immensely, as this ranking proves. If you want to work in traditional publishing, media, or national politics, being near New York or Washington D.C. is a massive advantage for networking and internships. If you want to break into technical writing or corporate communications, look at schools situated near major tech, aerospace, or energy hubs where local employers recruit directly from the classroom.
Is an English degree a good pre-law track?
Yes, it is one of the most traditional and successful paths to law school. Legal work is fundamentally about reading dense texts, parsing language for loopholes, and writing highly persuasive arguments. An English program trains you to do exactly that, making it excellent preparation for both the LSAT and law school itself.