By major · Comparative Literature

Where can your student actually get into comparative literature?

In 2022-23, 61 colleges awarded a bachelor's degree in comparative literature, 16 of them in California. The biggest program that year was University of California-Santa Cruz, with 83 graduates. We build this page from federal data for every college that awards the degree, so it is the whole field rather than a shortlist.

This page is assembled from federal data for every college that awards the degree. There is no hand-written analysis on it.

At a glance · All states

61 colleges nationwide offer a bachelor's comparative literature program; every one of them awarded the degree in 2022-23 (federal IPEDS completions).
Largest programs by graduates in 2022-23: University of California-Santa Cruz (83), Columbia University in the City of New York (42), The University of Texas at Dallas (37).
16 of them are in California, the one state whose public systems (the University of California and the CSU) publish an admit rate into the major.
Hardest reported gate into the program (only the UC and the CSU publish one): University of California-Los Angeles — Comparative Literature, Fall 2025: 199 applied, 32 admitted (16%).
Highest reported admit rate into the program: San Francisco State University — 100.0% (14 applied, 14 admitted, Fall 2025).
Lowest average net price with aid: CUNY Hunter College, $2,984 per year.

Only the University of California and the CSU publish an admit rate into a major, so most colleges here show no program admit rate. A blank rate is not an open door. It means the college does not report one, and your student is applying against the campus admit rate instead. Admits are not enrollees. At most UC programs students are admitted to the campus, not the major. This page as JSON → · California only (16 colleges, with the UC and CSU gates) →

Hardest reported gate

16%

University of California-Los Angeles
Comparative Literature, Fall 2025: 199 applied, 32 admitted

Highest reported admit rate

100.0%

San Francisco State University
Comparative Literature, Fall 2025: 14 applied, 14 admitted

Lowest net price with aid

$2,984

CUNY Hunter College
average for aid recipients, per year

Every college, one row each

Colleges with a reported gate into the program come first, hardest first; the rest are sorted by earnings, then by graduates. Degree awarded is the program the college conferred bachelor's degrees in during 2022-23, with the number of graduates (federal IPEDS completions). Program admit rate is the college system's own number for this major (UC Information Center, CSU Chancellor's Office). Net price is the average paid by aid recipients; full price is the cost of attendance. Earnings are federal College Scorecard medians four years after the degree.

College	Gate into the program	Degree awarded · graduates 2022-23	Program admit rate	Campus admit rate	Net price with aid	Full price	Earnings 4 yrs out
University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 199 applied, 32 admitted · admit GPA 4.14–4.30	Comparative Literature 14 graduates	16%	11%	$12,548	$38,614	—
University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 226 applied, 97 admitted · admit GPA 4.05–4.26	Comparative Literature 22 graduates	43%	10%	$13,481	$45,619	—
University of California-Santa Barbara CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 159 applied, 68 admitted · admit GPA 4.11–4.28	Comparative Literature 22 graduates	43%	44%	$16,109	$41,573	—
California State University-Fullerton CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 15 applied, 12 admitted impacted	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	80.0%	87%	$6,555	$18,269	—
University of California-Davis CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 101 applied, 82 admitted · admit GPA 3.94–4.21	Comparative Literature 3 graduates	81%	46%	$14,741	$41,238	—
California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 14 applied, 13 admitted impacted	Comparative Literature 13 graduates	92.9%	47%	$10,440	$22,679	—
San Francisco State University CA · Public · Test-blind	Comparative Literature Fall 2025: 14 applied, 14 admitted	Comparative Literature 4 graduates	100.0%	96%	$12,278	$26,488	—
University of California-Santa Cruz CA · Public · Test-blind	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 83 graduates	—	82%	$17,890	$41,179	—
Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 42 graduates	—	4%	$21,590	$89,472	—
The University of Texas at Dallas TX · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 37 graduates	—	66%	$18,267	$29,807	—
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras PR · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 25 graduates	—	53%	$9,175	—	—
Occidental College CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 22 graduates	—	40%	$38,263	$84,800	—
Yale University CT · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 14 graduates	—	4%	$23,777	$88,300	—
Princeton University NJ · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 13 graduates	—	4%	$6,128	$84,040	—
Stanford University CA · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 12 graduates	—	4%	$13,807	$87,833	—
Brown University RI · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 11 graduates	—	5%	$25,184	$87,648	—
Williams College MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 11 graduates	—	10%	$17,716	$84,860	—
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez PR · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 10 graduates	—	52%	$17,936	—	—
Reed College OR · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 9 graduates	—	27%	$33,013	$86,376	—
San Diego State University CA · Public · Test-blind	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 9 graduates	—	34%	$15,364	$27,780	—
University of Oregon OR · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 9 graduates	—	85%	$22,182	$34,793	—
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 8 graduates	—	18%	$13,138	$34,654	—
Cornell University NY · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 7 graduates	—	8%	$28,690	$88,140	—
New York University NY · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 7 graduates	—	9%	$37,050	$84,374	—
Harvard University MA · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 6 graduates	—	4%	$19,066	$85,540	—
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 6 graduates	—	54%	$32,875	$39,694	—
Middlebury College VT · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 5 graduates	—	10%	$31,483	$85,880	—
Oberlin College OH · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 5 graduates	—	33%	$38,645	$87,404	—
Smith College MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 5 graduates	—	20%	$27,579	$86,030	—
University of California-Irvine CA · Public · Test-blind	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 5 graduates	—	30%	$14,251	$38,632	—
Barnard College NY · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 4 graduates	—	8%	$28,800	$89,538	—
University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 4 graduates	—	58%	$22,383	$34,549	—
University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 4 graduates	—	42%	$14,091	$32,446	—
Binghamton University NY · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 3 graduates	—	38%	$21,620	$30,345	—
University of Georgia GA · Public · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 3 graduates	—	37%	$13,936	$27,993	—
University of Pennsylvania PA · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 3 graduates	—	6%	$28,699	$89,028	—
University of Southern California CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 3 graduates	—	10%	$32,740	$90,300	—
CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	54%	$2,984	$13,905	—
CUNY Lehman College NY · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	55%	$3,148	$14,121	—
Clark University MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	42%	$28,714	$68,432	—
Dartmouth College NH · Private nonprofit · Required	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	6%	$29,519	$87,793	—
Emory University GA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	11%	$22,585	$83,622	—
Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	80%	$16,264	$28,801	—
Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	65%	$24,406	$36,993	—
University of Dallas TX · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	54%	$22,610	$68,583	—
Wellesley College MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 2 graduates	—	14%	$25,496	$86,290	—
Boston University MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	11%	$24,402	$86,285	—
Brandeis University MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	35%	$35,736	$86,448	—
Bryn Mawr College PA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	31%	$31,759	$83,250	—
CUNY Brooklyn College NY · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	54%	$3,103	$14,151	—
CUNY Queens College NY · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	68%	$4,195	$14,367	—
College of the Holy Cross MA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	21%	$38,782	$80,334	—
Colorado College CO · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	20%	$33,375	$86,921	—
Fordham University NY · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	56%	$44,338	$82,762	—
Haverford College PA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	13%	$25,314	$90,382	—
Hofstra University NY · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	71%	$34,176	$70,624	—
University of Arizona AZ · Public · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	86%	$16,674	$29,423	—
University of California-Merced CA · Public · Test-blind	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	95%	$11,983	$39,665	—
University of California-Riverside CA · Public · Test-blind	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	88%	$14,304	$38,942	—
University of Chicago IL · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	5%	$14,860	$90,360	—
University of San Francisco CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional	Not reported by the college system	Comparative Literature 1 graduate	—	51%	$41,431	$80,141	—

Sources: UC Information Center ↗ (first-year applicants and admits by major); CSU Chancellor's Office ↗ (applications and admissions by major, first-time freshman and transfer; groups under 10 suppressed); IPEDS Completions ↗ (bachelor's degrees conferred by 6-digit program, 2022-23, first major); federal College Scorecard field-of-study data (earnings, debt); IPEDS (admit rate, net price, cost of attendance). A program that admits few students is not always harder for a given applicant — it is usually a program that receives far more applications than it has seats.

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The list is where the work starts

With 61 colleges awarding this degree, the work is narrowing the list rather than finding one: start with the colleges in your state, look up the net price at each, and compare what graduates earn where the federal data reports it. Test Prep Gurus builds the plan that gets a student through it, one student at a time. prepgurus.com · 949.229.5359