East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 16.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 305 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 39 | 363 | $37,213 | $42,213 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 35 | 220 | Data unavailable | $42,764 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 167 | 1,316 | $36,286 | $51,642 | $19,038 10 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | $57,857 | Data unavailable | $21,350 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 35 | 136 | $40,998 | $62,871 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 23 | 63 | $63,058 | $72,231 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 5 | 13 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise State University ID · Public · 19 graduates measured | $37,520 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Rhode Island RI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $50,574 | $77,224 | $19,325 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $45,229 | $51,826 | $12,927 |
| Portland State University OR · Public · 18 graduates measured | $40,597 | $39,563 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $40,424 | $38,455 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $38,298 | $61,603 | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 52 graduates measured | $37,522 | $46,527 | $21,446 |
| University of Puget Sound WA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $37,041 | $53,792 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 42 graduates measured | $36,947 | $42,569 | $23,250 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte NC · Public · 33 graduates measured | $35,492 | $44,878 | Data unavailable |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa HI · Public · 60 graduates measured | $35,335 | $46,563 | $19,980 |
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 21 graduates measured | $34,094 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Western Washington University WA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $33,875 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Davis CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $33,051 | $60,939 | Data unavailable |
| St Olaf College MN · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $31,806 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $27,779 | $55,898 | $15,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $57,377 | Data unavailable | $21,350 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $79,350 | +0.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Interpreters and translators | $60,170 | +2.0% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (6)
- 16.0300 East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0301 Chinese Language and Literature
- 16.0302 Japanese Language and Literature
- 16.0303 Korean Language and Literature
- 16.0304 Tibetan Language and Literature
- 16.0399 East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other