How these universities are ranked
36 of these universities hold a QS World position, from #5 (Harvard University) to #575 (University of South Carolina); they are listed first, in that order. Below them, universities follow their research output: Harvard University is cited most (146,463,495 citations). 5 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".
Public, private and where they are
444 are public and 4 private (99% public). By location, Massachusetts (3), Minnesota (2) and Missouri (2) account for the most of those we can place. The oldest is Harvard University, founded in 1636. Ohio State University-Main Campus is the largest, with 45,638 students.
What the courses look like
Within the subject, the largest areas are Languages & Linguistics (1,131), English Language (18), English Literature (3) and Linguistics (2). The usual length is 4 years and 2 years. 98% are full-time and 14 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (100% of courses with a stated intake). University of Virginia, Charlottesville offers the widest choice, with 17 of these courses.
What it costs
We hold indicative fees for 19 of these universities. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez is the least expensive at USD 5,274 a year and St Olaf College the most at USD 59,760; the middle of the range is about USD 22,870. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.