Is Northwestern or the University of Edinburgh better for English literature?

The biggest practical tradeoff is flexibility versus specialization. Northwestern gives you a broader U.S. liberal arts style undergraduate experience with smaller discussion-based classes, easier access to interdisciplinary work, and strong campus journalism, theatre, and writing culture. Edinburgh offers a more traditionally literature-focused path from the start, with the advantage of studying in a city deeply tied to literary history.

For undergraduate English literature specifically, Edinburgh is often seen as the more academically distinctive choice in the subject itself. Its program is built around literary study in a way that can feel more immersive and historically grounded, and the setting matters here: being in Edinburgh means direct exposure to archives, festivals, authors, and a literary culture that is unusually present in everyday student life.

Northwestern is excellent, but its strength at the undergraduate level often comes from the overall academic environment rather than from English literature alone being uniquely dominant. The quarter system lets you explore a lot, and the English major can pair very well with journalism, theatre, film, history, or political science. That can be a real advantage if your interests are not purely literary or if you want a more customizable academic experience.

One important difference is teaching style and structure. Edinburgh tends to expect more independence early, and large lectures are more common in parts of the program, especially at the start. Northwestern usually offers more handholding, closer faculty interaction in the U.S. style, and a campus experience that is often more residential and community-centered.

If the question is which school is stronger for English literature as a subject, I would give Edinburgh the edge. If what you want is an outstanding undergraduate experience where literature is part of a wider, highly flexible humanities ecosystem, Northwestern may end up feeling better in practice.