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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value Literature Master’s Degree Schools

3 Colleges in the United States
$23,453 Avg Student Debt
$69,182 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Literature Master's Degree Badge [Literature](/majors/english-language-literature/literature/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong literature education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 120 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for literature students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Literature Schools in the United States

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the literature degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Literature Schools

1

For return on investment in literature, no school beat Northern Arizona University this year. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, while out-of-state students pay about $20,044. Typical student debt for literature graduates is $21,645. Early-career literature graduates make about $47,056. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

2

Students looking for strong value in literature will find it at George Mason University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, compared with $38,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the literature program here. Literature graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $63,131 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,529 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.

3
Simmons College crest
Simmons College
Boston, MA

Students looking for strong value in literature will find it at Simmons College, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Boston, Simmons College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $46,874. Literature graduates carry a median of $26,740 in student loans. Soon after graduation, literature degree recipients from Simmons College generally make around $63,860. Set against $26,740 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.

4
New York University crest
New York University
New York, NY

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New York University earned it the #4 place for literature. New York University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $62,796 in tuition and fees. Literature graduates carry a median of $21,897 in student loans. Literature graduates of New York University earn a median of $64,516 early in their careers. Set against $21,897 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. New York University admits about 9% of applicants.

Other Literature Degree Levels

Explore the best-value literature schools at other degree levels:

All Degree Levels in Literature
Associate's Degrees in Literature
Bachelor's Degrees in Literature
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Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 120 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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