Best Online Bachelor’s of English Degree Programs for 2023

BEST ONLINE BACHELOR'S IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Find top-ranked online bachelor’s in english degree programs to help students earn fulfilling careers, such as editors, writers, grant administrators, teachers, public relations managers, and journalists.

Top 10 Online Bachelor's in English Degree Programs

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  1. University of Missouri
  2. Texas Tech University
  3. University of Central Florida
  4. University of Memphis
  5. Marshall University
  6. Liberty University
  7. University of Massachusetts Lowell
  8. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
  9. West Virginia State University
  10. Southern New Hampshire University
  1. University of Maine at Presque Isle 100%
  2. Liberty University 99%
  3. Central Methodist University 99%
  4. Marshall University 98%
  5. West Virginia State University 97%
  6. West Texas A&M University 97%
  7. University of Memphis 95%
  8. Troy University 95%
  9. Southern New Hampshire University 92%
  10. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 92%
  1. University of Central Florida 31 to 1
  2. Columbia College 23 to 1
  3. Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
  4. University of Houston–Victoria 20 to 1
  5. Texas Tech University 19 to 1
  6. California Baptist University 19 to 1
  7. Regent University 19 to 1
  8. University of Massachusetts Lowell 19 to 1
  9. Rogers State University 19 to 1
  10. University of Missouri 18 to 1
  1. California Baptist University $37,018
  2. King University $32,838
  3. Maryville University $27,166
  4. Central Methodist University $26,470
  5. Midway University $24,850
  6. Columbia College $23,840
  7. Liberty University $22,713
  8. Mercy College $20,734
  9. Regent University $18,820
  10. Southwestern Assemblies of God University $17,404
  1. Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
  2. Mercy College $16,974
  3. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth $16,390
  4. Regent University $15,590
  5. University of Massachusetts Lowell $14,590
  6. Maryville University $14,346
  7. King University $14,207
  8. California Baptist University $13,590
  9. University of Maine at Presque Isle $12,000
  10. University of Missouri $9,950
  1. Midway University
  2. University of Maine at Presque Isle
  3. University of Houston–Victoria
  4. Rogers State University
  5. Columbia College
  6. Maryville University
  7. Fayetteville State University
  8. West Texas A&M University
  9. King University
  10. Southwestern Assemblies of God University
  1. University of Central Florida 36%
  2. Regent University 41%
  3. University of Houston–Victoria 53%
  4. California Baptist University 64%
  5. King University 66%
  6. Texas Tech University 68%
  7. University of Missouri 77%
  8. Midway University 78%
  9. Fayetteville State University 82%
  10. Southwestern Assemblies of God University 85%
  1. King University 11 to 1
  2. Central Methodist University 12 to 1
  3. West Virginia State University 12 to 1
  4. Maryville University 13 to 1
  5. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 15 to 1
  6. Midway University 15 to 1
  7. West Texas A&M University 15 to 1
  8. University of Memphis 16 to 1
  9. Mercy College 16 to 1
  10. Fayetteville State University 17 to 1
  1. Fayetteville State University $2,982
  2. University of Central Florida $4,478
  3. Rogers State University $4,710
  4. University of Houston–Victoria $5,111
  5. West Texas A&M University $6,211
  6. Marshall University $7,190
  7. University of Maine at Presque Isle $7,350
  8. West Virginia State University $8,308
  9. University of Memphis $8,352
  10. Texas Tech University $8,935
  1. Fayetteville State University $3,438
  2. Rogers State University $4,980
  3. West Texas A&M University $5,086
  4. University of Houston–Victoria $6,618
  5. University of Central Florida $6,916
  6. Texas Tech University $6,956
  7. Midway University $7,314
  8. Marshall University $7,520
  9. Southwestern Assemblies of God University $7,650
  10. Liberty University $7,847

Key Takeaways

  • The value of an online bachelor’s in English degree lies in its flexibility—you can apply the skills learned in diverse career paths. Your top-notch writing skills will become your edge in whatever career path you choose.
  • Because of their skills in research and writing, English majors can be very successful in fields like business and marketing, media and communications, and public relations. Graduates can pursue careers as editors, writers, grant administrators, teachers, public relations managers, and journalists.
  • But a bachelor’s degree is only a stepping stone in your professional journey! You should consider earning a master’s degree for personal and professional development.
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Featured Programs

Exploring the English Online Bachelor’s Program

Professionals with online bachelor’s in English degrees will find an abundance of job opportunities in diverse industries!

The Value of an English Degree

Many believe that there is little value in earning an English degree in contemporary society. The assumptions are that there is an absence of technical skills, a low demand for writers, and a lack of the specificity needed in the job market.

Fortunately, these are incorrect assumptions about the bachelor’s in English degree! The bachelor’s degree has immense value for these reasons:

  • English majors have in-demand specialized knowledge and skills that can be applied across a wide range of industries! Professionals with topnotch technical writing and creative writing skills are sought after in industries like mass communications, media and public relations, and education.
  • English majors have an adaptation mindset. They are both willing to learn new things and willing to adapt their existing skills to diverse situations.

Indeed, there’s value in an English degree, despite the fact that it is often overlooked with society’s emphasis on technical and trade skills! You should start looking closer at the merits of online English degree programs today.

Diverse Challenges English Majors Face

Yet another misconception is that students of online English degree programs have it easy. This cannot be further from the truth since online students have to meet the high academic standards of the best English degree programs.

Their writing skills must be consistently developed—in fact, their work will be critiqued down to the last word—even after earning an English degree.

English majors must also read voluminous works of authors from diverse genres, from the classics to contemporary works. This is in addition to the lessons, lectures, and assignments that must be completed on time. Time management is critical to success among online students, too, even with asynchronous courses.

Core Courses in an English Program

English majors usually tackle major and concentration courses in their sophomore year with the freshman year spent on general education courses. The major and concentration courses challenge the intellect, writing skills, and oral communication skills of students.

Examples courses include:

  • Reading and Writing for English Composition (Students develop their critical thinking, expository writing, and argumentative skills)
  • Introduction to Creative Writing (Students develop their written and oral communication skills during presentations)
  • Introduction to Linguistics (Students explore the origins and development of modern languages including the English language)
  • Survey of British and American Literature (Students explore the literature of the United Kingdom and United States during different periods)
  • Shakespeare (Students learn the art of appreciation of Shakespeare’s works)

Every course is designed to improve the students’ skill sets, whether it’s in professional writing, technical writing, or creative writing.

Skills Sets Developed by English Majors

Prospective students must have strong writing skills even before being admitted to an online English degree program. Once admitted, students are expected to develop these skill sets:

  • Reading, interpreting, and communicating the contents of diverse books and other materials
  • Editing existing works
  • Storytelling in different styles
  • Critical thinking, creativity, and analytical thinking

English majors must also have a passion for lifelong learning! The English language is alive, meaning it’s in constant flux and, thus, there’s always something new to learn.

Admission Requirements into English Degree Programs

Online English degree programs require prospective students to have a high school diploma or an associate degree. Demonstration of writing skills via personal statements is common. Letters of recommendation, official transcripts from schools attended, current resume, and portfolio of works may also be required.

Frequently Asked Questions About English Degrees

If you have strong written and verbal communication skills and enjoy reading a variety of texts, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English could be a good fit for you.

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This 120-credit degree usually takes about four years to complete, and is available both online and in person. Students who have already earned an associate degree in English may have the option to complete this degree at an accelerated pace.

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Most bachelor’s in English programs offer several concentrations, including film studies, creative writing, linguistics, ethnic studies, and American literature.

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This degree can also lead to many fulfilling careers, such as editors, writers, grant administrators, teachers, public relations managers, and journalists.

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Learn more about how to major in English.

Best Online Bachelor's in English Degree Programs
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How We Picked the Best Online Bachelor’s in English

The best online English degree programs featured on our list were chosen because of their emphasis on academic excellence. Students were not only expected to meet minimum grade requirements, both at the course level and cumulative GPA, but also to demonstrate excellent communication skills in the English language.

The skills demonstration comes in many forms, such as writing assignments, class recitations, and capstone projects. Presentations in seminars and workshops are also common evaluation tools. Students must meet academic requirements on time and based on standards, too.

These online English degree programs were also chosen for the convenience and flexibility of schedules, usually via asynchronous courses. While synchronous courses are also present, students are able to achieve a work-life-studies balance.

Students also benefited from the exceptional student support services, as well as the ease of access to on-campus services, if necessary. Academic advising, one-on-one and group tutoring, writing center services, and career services, as well as an IT help desk are available.

All the online English degree programs also offered financial aid options for online students. Federal financial aid is the first option but scholarships and grants are also available for eligible students.

The colleges and universities that offered these online bachelor’s in English programs are also regionally accredited. Accreditation means that the online programs meet the academic standards of the U.S. Department of Education and, thus, quality instruction is assured. Accreditation is also essential for students to apply for federal financial aid.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Editors in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary
63230News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
73250Public Relations Specialists
76400Editors
81120Writers and Authors
81470Technical Writers
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Best Online Bachelor’s in English Degree Programs

  1. #1

    University of Missouri

    Columbia , MO
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    77%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    26K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1215/26

    Online Degrees

    BA in English
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  2. #2

    Texas Tech University

    Lubbock , TX
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    68%

    Graduation

    63%

    Student body

    36K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1155/24

    Online Degrees

    BA in English
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  3. #3

    University of Memphis

    Memphis , TN
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    54%

    Student body

    17K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1095/22

    Online Degrees

    BA in English

    Concentrations

    • African American Literature
    • Professional Writing
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  4. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Acceptance

    36%

    Graduation

    75%

    Student body

    63K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1250/27

    Online Degrees

    BA in English

    Concentrations

    • Literature
    • Technical Communication
    • Creative Writing
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. #6

    Liberty University

    Lynchburg , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $23K

    Acceptance

    99%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    79K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1145/25

    Online Degrees

    BS in English And Writing

    Concentrations

    • Journalism
    • Creative Writing
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 3.5 years
    • Format: Online
  6. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $16K

    Acceptance

    85%

    Graduation

    69%

    Student body

    15K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1230/26

    Online Degrees

    BA in English Literature and Criticism
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
  7. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $15K

    Acceptance

    92%

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    102K

    Online Degrees

    BA in English Language and Literature
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BA in Creative Writing and English

    Concentrations

    • Fiction
    • Non-Fiction
    • Poetry
    • Screenwriting
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
  8. #12

    Troy University

    Troy , AL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    52%

    Student body

    13K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1020/21

    Online Degrees

    BS in English
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  9. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $37K

    Acceptance

    64%

    Graduation

    57%

    Student body

    11K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1055/21

    Online Degrees

    BA in English
    • Required Credits: 48
    • Completion time: 4-5 years
    • Format: Online
  10. #17

    Regent University

    Virginia Beach , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $19K

    Acceptance

    41%

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    7K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1080/25

    Online Degrees

    BA in English

    Concentrations

    • Writing
    • Self Designed
    • Biblical Studies
    • Government
    • History
    • General
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BS in Professional Studies

    Concentrations

    • English
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
    BA in English Communication
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 4 years
    • Format: Online
  11. #21

    Maryville University

    Saint Louis , MO
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $27K

    Acceptance

    92%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    9K

    Online Degrees

    BA in English
    • Required Credits: 128
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  12. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    100%

    Graduation

    35%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    BA in English

    Concentrations

    • Professional Communication and Journalism
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion time: 1-4 years
    • Format: Online
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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Online College-Bound Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.