Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 16.09. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,479 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 | 164 | 1,464 | $42,581 | $53,696 | $20,500 5 programs |
| Associate's degree | 136 | 934 | $41,894 | $40,755 | $19,625 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 861 | 8,588 | $40,236 | $55,000 | $19,500 126 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | 0 | $65,893 | Data unavailable | $26,500 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 182 | 934 | $51,570 | $60,728 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 80 | 339 | $64,788 | $69,860 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 50 | 62 | $119,309 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Norbert College WI · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $45,079 | $62,379 | $23,975 |
| Boise State University ID · Public · 104 graduates measured | $42,557 | $56,877 | $19,675 |
| Temple University PA · Public · 28 graduates measured | $41,418 | $52,030 | $26,000 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $39,982 | 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.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $42,883 | $49,333 | $19,625 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $71,231 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $68,020 | $85,619 | $19,500 |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $60,288 | $81,802 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 55 graduates measured | $59,270 | $93,769 | $20,500 |
| University of Portland OR · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $56,690 | $53,853 | Data unavailable |
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $54,778 | $62,623 | Data unavailable |
| Weber State University UT · Public · 20 graduates measured | $54,519 | $70,174 | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $54,318 | $83,961 | Data unavailable |
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $53,990 | $89,275 | Data unavailable |
| Gustavus Adolphus College MN · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $52,776 | $62,016 | Data unavailable |
| Vanderbilt University TN · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $52,522 | $114,368 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 48 graduates measured | $52,503 | $58,697 | $19,736 |
| Wellesley College MA · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $52,210 | $65,036 | Data unavailable |
| Furman University SC · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $51,821 | $60,280 | Data unavailable |
| College of the Holy Cross MA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $51,434 | $76,301 | $23,000 |
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 · 47 graduates measured | $65,253 | Data unavailable | $26,500 |
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.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Oregon University OR · Public · 23 graduates measured | $65,343 | $79,671 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-Camden NJ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $64,802 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 23 graduates measured | $64,802 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $57,680 | $61,632 | Data unavailable |
| San Diego State University CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $39,525 | 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.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho State University ID · Public · 20 graduates measured | $123,712 | 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.
Careers linked to Romance 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 (9)
- 16.0900 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0901 French Language and Literature
- 16.0902 Italian Language and Literature
- 16.0904 Portuguese Language and Literature
- 16.0905 Spanish Language and Literature
- 16.0906 Romanian Language and Literature
- 16.0907 Catalan Language and Literature
- 16.0908 Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- 16.0999 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other