2026 Best Value Literature Schools in the Southeast Region
[Literature](/majors/english-language-literature/literature/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value literature schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Literature Schools in the Southeast Region
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
Leading the list is George Mason University, our #1 best value for literature in the Southeast Region. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,220, while out-of-state students pay about $38,688. Literature graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. Soon after graduation, literature degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $63,131. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Sewanee The University Of The South earned it the #2 place for literature. Set in the rural area of Sewanee, Sewanee The University Of The South is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $56,120. Literature graduates carry a median of $22,091 in student loans. Soon after graduation, literature degree recipients from Sewanee The University Of The South generally make around $36,927. That is a strong return on a $22,091 median debt. Sewanee The University Of The South admits about 57% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
