Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other: 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 4 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other pays
Career outlook for Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other graduates
The job market for the occupations Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 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 |
| 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.
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other vs similar majors
How Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 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.
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other Foreign Languages & Linguistics · this major | Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 39 D | 83 A | 52 C | 36 D |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $57,407 | $77,090 | $62,032 | $55,503 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $34,944 | $48,355 | $50,308 | $34,577 |
| ROI vs cost | +54% | +305% | +114% | +32% |
| Typical debt | $22,920 | $20,000 | $21,161 | $20,355 |
| Colleges offering it | 4 | 2 | 4 | 234 |
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 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 Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
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 Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD | Certificate | $59,599 | — | +562% | Strong return |
| 2 | Clemson University Clemson, SC | Associate's | $69,311 | $21,840 | +363% | Strong return |
| 3 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA | Associate's | $49,808 | — | +60% | Break-even |
| 4 | Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA | Associate's | $50,909 | $24,000 | +50% | Break-even |
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.