American Sign Language: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 19 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What American Sign Language pays
Career outlook for American Sign Language graduates
The job market for the occupations American Sign Language graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | 1,094,500 | -1.6% | $64,580 | Bachelor's degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | 183,400 | +1.8% | $78,490 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Interpreters and translators | 75,300 | +1.7% | $59,440 | Bachelor's degree |
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary | 26,400 | -0.2% | $77,010 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
American Sign Language vs similar majors
How American Sign Language stacks up against the closest fields in Foreign Languages & Linguistics on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| American Sign Language Foreign Languages & Linguistics · this major | Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 22 F | 83 A | 52 C | 39 D |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $43,560 | $77,090 | $62,032 | $57,407 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $38,672 | $48,355 | $50,308 | $34,944 |
| ROI vs cost | -118% | +305% | +114% | +54% |
| Typical debt | $21,470 | $20,000 | $21,161 | $22,920 |
| Colleges offering it | 19 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
American Sign Language earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for American Sign Language
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL | Certificate | $68,159 | — | +470% | Strong return |
| 2 | Gallaudet University Washington, DC | Certificate | $70,823 | $29,470 | +248% | Strong return |
| 3 | St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN | Associate's | $51,418 | — | +62% | Break-even |
| 4 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL | Associate's | $48,564 | $26,000 | -43% | Poor return |
| 5 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY | Associate's | $49,145 | $24,584 | -47% | Poor return |
| 6 | Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR | Associate's | $46,831 | $23,500 | -58% | Poor return |
| 7 | William Woods University Fulton, MO | Associate's | $44,471 | $18,197 | -109% | Poor return |
| 8 | Gallaudet University Washington, DC | Associate's | $44,251 | $23,500 | -119% | Poor return |
| 9 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY | Associate's | $38,473 | — | -281% | Poor return |
| 10 | Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN | Certificate | $42,470 | — | -320% | Poor return |
| 11 | Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN | Certificate | $39,494 | — | -579% | Poor return |
| 12 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | Associate's | $33,349 | $16,385 | -722% | Poor return |
| 13 | Lansing Community College Lansing, MI | Certificate | $41,560 | — | -733% | Poor return |
| 14 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX | Certificate | $34,916 | $10,127 | -1,100% | Poor return |
| 15 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ | Certificate | $32,328 | — | -1,151% | Poor return |
| 16 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX | Certificate | $37,612 | — | -1,804% | Poor return |
| 17 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX | Certificate | $36,365 | — | -2,091% | Poor return |
| 18 | Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH | Certificate | $35,115 | — | -2,417% | Poor return |
| 19 | El Paso Community College El Paso, TX | Certificate | $32,304 | — | -4,060% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.