Middlebury vs Boston University for English: which is better for an undergraduate English major?

For an undergraduate English major, Middlebury is often the more distinctive choice if you want a deeply literary, discussion-heavy experience with close faculty access. Its liberal arts structure means undergraduates are the center of the academic model, and the culture is very oriented toward reading, writing, and seminar-style conversation. Boston University can be excellent too, but it usually makes more sense for a student who wants English within a larger university setting, with more cross-disciplinary options and the energy of a city campus.

Middlebury is especially appealing for the student who wants professors to know their work well and who values a tight academic community. In English, that usually translates into more intimate class discussions, easier access to office hours, and a stronger sense that your major sits near the heart of the college. Middlebury also has a long-standing reputation for strong humanities teaching, and that matters if you want your undergraduate years to feel centered on close reading, serious writing, and sustained mentorship.

Boston University fits a different kind of English major. It offers the resources of a large research university, access to a major literary city, and more room to combine English with journalism, film, publishing, education, theater, or other adjacent fields. For a student who likes independence, wants a broader range of institutional resources, or imagines using English in a more professionally connected way, BU has real advantages. The tradeoff is that the experience can feel less intimate, and you may need to be more proactive about building faculty relationships.

If your priority is the pure undergraduate academic experience in English, Middlebury has the edge. If your priority is studying English while taking advantage of a large university and Boston-based opportunities, BU becomes more compelling.