In this ranking, we examine the best value colleges for an online English degree.
As a traditional liberal arts degree, English is one of the most versatile academic programs you could choose. It might not offer the same career focus level as some more industrial programs, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful in the job market. On the contrary! English majors excel where so many professionals struggle; with excellent communication and writing skills and an impressive ability to communicate their ideas, these students are uniquely talented.
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And like other liberal arts programs, English degrees typically don’t require internships, labs, or practicums. As a result, it shouldn’t be hard for you to find a top-notch program with 100% online coursework. In fact, our best college values ranking can attest to that! All of these schools offer that careful blend of low costs and high quality that students need to secure their success without breaking the bank.
Best Value Online English Degrees
15. Heritage University
ONLINE ENGLISH B.A.
An online English B.A. from Heritage University is about much more than just learning to read and write—although that’s certainly a large emphasis. With a robust liberal arts core, this program introduces students to a world of artistic and cultural heritage (no pun intended) that spans continents and centuries. Students engage with history, philosophy, religion, music, and more with the intimacy of a first-person novel. Graduates emerge from the program with a broadened, multi-cultural perspective on what it means to be a person. Unsurprisingly, students who have earned this online English degree end up in fields as diverse as their studies, from business and law to media, entertainment, and politics.
Net Price: $10,797/yr
Score: 42.37
14. California Baptist University
ONLINE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH
Website
Between the English language, composition, and literature courses, English majors at California Baptist University have their work cut out for them—and for good reason. Students develop the writing, editing, research, and analysis skills that are highly marketable in today’s competitive workforce, making this one of the best English degrees online. Surveys of British and American literature—a cornerstone of CBU’s English curriculum—go far beyond storytelling. They bring the past and all of its social and political issues to life, asking readers to reflect on their own concept of society and consider how to express this in their own writing.
Net Price: $25,752/yr
Score: 47.12
13. Chaminade University of Honolulu
ONLINE BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH (PACE)
Website
Are you fascinated by poetry, enthralled with fiction, captivated by drama, or inspired by non-fiction? How about “all of the above”? Students who love literature in all of its forms would do well to consider pursuing an English degree online at Chaminade University of Honolulu. Offering concentrations in Creative Writing and Literature & Criticism, this program is ideal for both writers and readers, and it encourages each group to learn from the other. Whether you are looking to be an author or an editor, Chaminade is a great way to develop the writing and reading skills that will allow you to succeed in your career.
Net Price: $19,668/yr
Score: 47.37
12. Judson College
ONLINE ENGLISH DEGREE
Website
What use is a language if you have no one with whom to share it? At Judson College, where the English major is the cornerstone of the liberal arts curriculum, there is no shortage of opportunities for English majors to grow as readers and writers both in and out of class. If you are looking to take part in a literary publication as a creative/scholarly writer, an editor, or layout designer, Judson has you covered with the student-run magazine Scrimshaw. Students in the online English degree program also regularly find internships in media outlets to gain hands-on writing and research experience in a professional setting.
Net Price: $14,289/yr
Score: 50.31
11. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
ENGLISH DEGREE ONLINE
Website
If you are a true lover of literature and language you can try to deny it, but you can’t hide it. To guarantee that no wordsmith is left in the woods (so to speak), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has developed a convenient and affordable way to deliver its English degree online. SMWC holds nothing back with an online curriculum offering a full range of fascinating coursework, from Literature and Myth and Creative Nonfiction to Modern World Literature. And with online academic support for distance learners, personalized career services, and flexible/part-time options, this entire program is built from the ground up for student success.
Net Price: $15,214/yr
Score: 51.18
10. Adams State University
Online Bachelor of Arts Degree in English/Liberal Arts
Website
In order to write well, you must first learn to read well. Adams State University transforms students into fluent and capable writers with a rigorous liberal arts curriculum that stresses close reading and critical thinking. In addition to a writing proficiency evaluation at the end of the “English 200s” sequence, students at Adams State must also defend a senior portfolio assessment of their own writing over the course of their four-year degree. But with challenging and unique classes like Mythology, Chicano Lit, and Bible as Literature, students don’t struggle to come up with interesting ideas when earning their English degrees online.
Net Price: $9,886/yr
Score: 52.18
9. University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Online Bachelor of Arts Degree in English
Website
At the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, you don’t have to leave your home to get a great education in the humanities. UMass is known for offering a completely online English degree, making it easier than ever to develop the writing and critical thinking skills that are in such demand in the job market today. In addition to providing an introduction to the American and British literary traditions, this program also touts a robust, 38 credit-hour general education component spanning the arts and sciences. English students can also choose from notable electives such as Technical Writing, Gay and Lesbian Literature, Intro to Journalism, and Film Studies.
Net Price: $15,965/yr
Score: 56.06
8. Indiana University-East
Online Bachelor of Arts in English, Technical, and Professional Writing
As everyone knows, there is much more to the English language than storytelling and rhymes. With a degree from Indiana University-East, students learn to read and write in a wide range of contexts and media that extend far beyond literature. Not to throw the baby out with the bath water, this program combines the best parts of a traditional English degree with a contemporary technical writing program. Coursework in Digital Writing and Grammar and Usage sits alongside Literary Interpretation and American Fiction to provide a comprehensive online English degree.
Net Price: $7,975/yr
Score: 60.87
7. University of Memphis
Online English B.A.
Website
The University of Memphis offers working and otherwise time-limited students an excellent opportunity to build their professional and intellectual skills remotely with a bachelor’s in English online degree. This program grants students flexibility not only in the scheduling and pacing of their degree, but also in their degree specialization. With concentrations available in African-American Literature and Professional Writing, students are free to take the pragmatic, professional route, the cultural, artistic route, or a mix of both. But both option guarantee a strong foundation in literary tradition, including criticism, history, and close textual analysis.
Net Price: $12,369/yr
Score: 61.68
6. Columbia College
Online Bachelor of Arts in English
Website
Great literature is also thought-provoking, giving the reader a closer look at themselves even as they explore a world of fictional characters. Columbia College helps remote students access all of the great literature they desire with its online English degree program. Distribution requirements in ethics, foreign languages, and multiculturalism demonstrate the vast pluralism in perspectives in the English-speaking world. At the same time, students develop a critical vocabulary that they can use to describe the wide range of experiences they study. Students can also pursue their future vocation through courses in technical writing and screenwriting as well as internships in publishing.
Net Price: $7,258/yr
Score: 62.00
5. University of Central Florida
Online English Literature B.A.
Website
You’ll find English majors from the University of Central Florida in every segment of the professional world, from law and management to consulting and IT. While strong training in communication and critical thinking skills are clearly the foundation for this success, the real secret to UCF’s online English degree is multi-cultural training. Literary history requirements mandate that students analyze the works of writers from different eras and continents. Supporting this goal is an unparalleled range of multi-cultural literature courses, including but not limited to: Irish Lit, Caribbean Lit, Hispanic Woman Writers, Florida Writers, Topics in African-American Lit, and Harlem, Haiti & Havana.
Net Price: $14,745/yr
Score: 66.75
4. University of Maine at Presque Isle
Online English Degree
Website
The right online English degree can lead to a career in academia, publishing, journalism, or technical writing, among other options. For all of the above, students choose University of Maine at Presque Isle, where they can develop the close reading skills, professional and academic writing chops, and literary and film analysis techniques they need to succeed in any field. Each student at UMPI works with a personal academic advisor who can help him devise a schedule that meets his needs. In fact, UMPI offers online classes year-round, including two terms in the summer, making scheduling extremely flexible. This also means that students can graduate in just 3 years.
Net Price: $10,374/yr
Score: 67.50
3. Nicholls State University
Online Bachelor of Arts in English
With an emphasis in Literary Studies, the Online Bachelor of Arts in English at Nicholls State University is a self-described “classic” online English degree program. Students enjoy a comprehensive survey of American, British, and World Literature in a variety of genres, including poetry, short fiction, drama, novels, and even nonfiction. Beyond literary exploration, Nicholls establishes a firm foundation in linguistics, grammar, and professional writing to ground the curriculum in an objective basis. At the end of the degree, students develop their own concentration in a specific literary period, topic, or author to summarize their learning.
Net Price: $9,369/yr
Score: 69.75
2. Arizona State University
Online English (BA)
Website
Conventional wisdom holds that, all things being equal, an in-person education is better than an online education. Arizona State University defies this wisdom by offering some of the best liberal arts and technical instruction available. These resources come not in spite of the online format, but because of it! With the same courses and faculty available to students at any time and any place, the online English degree program at ASU actually grants students greater ownership and control over their own learning and even enables them to complete their degree in a three-year Fast Track.
Net Price: $12,125/yr
Score: 77.25
1. University of Illinois at Springfield
Online Bachelor’s Degree in English
Website
What does the University of Illinois at Springfield have that all the other best online English degrees don’t? Aside from the brand-name value of a U of I degree and exclusive coursework in Children’s Literature, UIS actually features a highly advanced online delivery format. Remote students benefit from a distance learning environment that is not only convenient, but also somewhat preferable to traditional classrooms. With career services, IT assistance, tutoring, and library access available through the same interface as regular coursework, online students can have all the resources they need to succeed in one place.
Net Price: $9,049/yr
Score: 83.31
This concludes our ranking of the top 15 values in online English degree programs.
See our methodology page for more information about how we calculated this ranking.
Sources:
College Navigator
By CVO Staff
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