Do English department rankings matter?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

I recently decided I would pursue a double major in English and Spanish with the ultimate goal of going to English graduate school and entering academia (I know the job prospects are bleak, but I’d be happy to be a high school teacher if necessary). I am currently planning to attend Baylor University on a full tuition scholarship, but I’m having reservations due to the program being significantly lower ranked than other schools I have been accepted to, including UT Austin (where I’d have in state tuition but no scholarships), Texas A&M (also have a full tuition scholarship here), OU (full ride), and Auburn University (comparable cost to UT). Baylor is my favorite school for everything outside the program ranking, but I know I could be happy at any school I attend and especially UT’s rank and prestige give me pause before attending Baylor. I’d appreciate any input regarding what you’d do in this situation and whether English rankings (if you want to attend a top 30 grad school) are critical.

When you say Baylor’s program is lower ranked, what rankings are you referring to? The US News grad rankings?

How do your net costs compare for Baylor versus UT Austin?

Go by peer review not magazine rankings. Examine the course catalog & how it is split up. Is it adequate in covering all ethnic-based literatures (brit, American, African-American, irish, French)? What is the creative writing component? Poetry? Theater? Fiction? How about genre? The American bestseller, gothic, the classics, greek & roman, French, non-fiction, graphic novel, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy?