Best colleges for English Language and Literature in New York
Ranked by graduate earnings
Colgate University, Barnard College and Columbia University are the top bachelor's English Language and Literature programs in New York by graduate earnings. Colgate University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $48,008, College Scorecard. Columbia University, CUNY Hunter College and Fordham University award the most English Language and Literature degrees in New York: 170, 149 and 117 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 86 New York colleges offer English Language and Literature and award 2,639 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The English Language and Literature program, also known as English studies, focuses on the study, analysis, and exploration of English literature through various texts. This program is designed for students interested in deepening their…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colgate University Hamilton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $48,008 | 30 | 91% | $22,903 | $15,875 |
| 2 | Barnard College New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,414 | 48 | 93% | $24,675 | $19,000 |
| 3 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,838 | 170 | 96% | $15,315 | $25,500 |
| 4 | Hofstra University Hempstead Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,637 | 26 | 69% | $34,539 | $24,485 |
| 5 | Binghamton University Vestal Public · Bachelor's degree | $35,237 | 91 | 82% | — | $21,500 |
| 6 | University of Rochester Rochester Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $35,053 | 39 | 85% | $25,874 | $21,000 |
| 7 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx Public · Bachelor's degree | $34,337 | 62 | 51% | — | $11,391 |
| 8 | Cornell University Ithaca Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $33,270 | 34 | 95% | $17,613 | $16,275 |
| 9 | University at Albany Albany Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,940 | 89 | 61% | — | $26,000 |
| 10 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York Public · Bachelor's degree | $31,842 | 25 | 56% | — | $9,848 |
Top 2 certificate and associate programs
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan School of Computer Technology Brooklyn Private not-for-profit · Certificate | $19,417 | 380 | 70% | $11,180 | — |
| 2 | CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College New York Public · Associate degree | $24,207 | 41 | 25% | — | $5,700 |
Colleges awarding the most English Language and Literature degrees in New York
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University New York Private not-for-profit | 170 | $35,838 |
| 2 | CUNY Hunter College New York Public | 149 | $27,958 |
| 3 | Fordham University Bronx Private not-for-profit | 117 | $26,652 |
| 4 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook Public | 105 | $29,480 |
| 5 | Binghamton University Vestal Public | 91 | $35,237 |
| 6 | University at Albany Albany Public | 89 | $31,940 |
| 7 | State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz Public | 84 | $23,862 |
| 8 | CUNY City College New York Public | 74 | $27,082 |
| 9 | CUNY Queens College Queens Public | 66 | $28,290 |
| 10 | College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island Public | 65 | $26,548 |
ShowHide the other 76 New York colleges offering English Language and Literature
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manhattan School of Computer Technology | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 380 |
| CUNY Lehman College | Bronx | Public | 62 |
| University at Buffalo | Buffalo | Public | 59 |
| Barnard College | New York | Private not-for-profit | 48 |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 43 |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 43 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College | New York | Public | 41 |
| CUNY Brooklyn College | Brooklyn | Public | 41 |
| University of Rochester | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| Mercy University | Dobbs Ferry | Private not-for-profit | 37 |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo | Public | 35 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca | Private not-for-profit | 34 |
| SUNY Old Westbury | Old Westbury | Public | 34 |
| Skidmore College | Saratoga Springs | Private not-for-profit | 33 |
| CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | New York | Public | 32 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center (Online) | New York | Public | 32 |
| St. John's University - New York | Queens | Private not-for-profit | 32 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | 30 |
| Adelphi University | Garden City | Private not-for-profit | 29 |
| Hofstra University | Hempstead | Private not-for-profit | 26 |
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | New York | Public | 25 |
| SUNY Brockport | Brockport | Public | 25 |
| CUNY LaGuardia Community College | Long Island City | Public | 24 |
| Siena University | Loudonville | Private not-for-profit | 24 |
| State University of New York at Cortland | Cortland | Public | 21 |
| Manhattan University | Riverdale | Private not-for-profit | 19 |
| Iona University | New Rochelle | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| Marist University | Poughkeepsie | Private not-for-profit | 18 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| St Lawrence University | Canton | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| Suffolk County Community College | Selden | Public | 16 |
| Nazareth University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 15 |
| SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia | Public | 15 |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta | Public | 15 |
| SUNY at Purchase College | Purchase | Public | 15 |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego | Public | 14 |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca | Private not-for-profit | 13 |
| St. Joseph's University - New York | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 13 |
| State University of New York at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Public | 13 |
| Mount Saint Mary College | Newburgh | Private not-for-profit | 12 |
| Yeshiva University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 11 |
| Le Moyne College | Syracuse | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Pace University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| SUNY Buffalo State University | Buffalo | Public | 10 |
| Union College | Schenectady | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| CUNY Bronx Community College | Bronx | Public | 9 |
| Alfred University | Alfred | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 8 |
| CUNY Medgar Evers College | Brooklyn | Public | 7 |
| Monroe Community College | Rochester | Public | 7 |
| Canisius University | Buffalo | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| Manhattanville University | Purchase | Private not-for-profit | 6 |
| United States Military Academy | West Point | Public | 6 |
| Dominican University New York | Orangeburg | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| University of Mount Saint Vincent | Bronx | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| Roberts Wesleyan University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| SUNY College at Potsdam | Potsdam | Public | 5 |
| Wagner College | Staten Island | Private not-for-profit | 5 |
| CUNY York College | Jamaica | Public | 4 |
| Hartwick College | Oneonta | Private not-for-profit | 4 |
| Molloy University | Rockville Centre | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Niagara County Community College | Sanborn | Public | 3 |
| Russell Sage College | Troy | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| St Bonaventure University | Saint Bonaventure | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| St. Thomas Aquinas College | Sparkill | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Utica University | Utica | Private not-for-profit | 3 |
| Houghton University | Houghton | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Niagara University | Niagara University | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Touro University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 2 |
| Clinton Community College | Plattsburgh | Public | 1 |
| Elmira College | Elmira | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Hilbert College | Hamburg | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| Long Island University | Brookville | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| New York University | New York | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| St. Francis College | Brooklyn | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
| St. John Fisher University | Rochester | Private not-for-profit | 1 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: Proofreaders and Copy Markers (SOC 43-9081).
Top skills
What Proofreaders and Copy Markers earn in New York
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing English Language and Literature programs in New York.
Which New York colleges award the most English Language and Literature degrees?+
Columbia University (170 graduates a year), CUNY Hunter College (149 graduates a year) and Fordham University (117 graduates a year) award the most English Language and Literature degrees in New York, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 86 New York colleges offer English Language and Literature.
What is the best college for English Language and Literature in New York?+
By graduate earnings, Colgate University leads among bachelor's English Language and Literature programs in New York, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $48,008, College Scorecard. Barnard College and Columbia University follow. By degrees awarded, Columbia University is the largest, with 170 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which English Language and Literature program in New York has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Colgate University tops the list at $48,008. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do Proofreaders and Copy Markers earn in New York?+
The average annual wage for Proofreaders and Copy Markers in New York is $65,980 (median $59,740), across about 1,030 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the English Language and Literature program?+
The English Language and Literature program, also known as English studies, focuses on the study, analysis, and exploration of English literature through various texts. This program is designed for students interested in deepening their…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, writing, speaking, active listening, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for Proofreaders and Copy Markers?+
The national job outlook is about -0.6% growth with around 1,900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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