Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: 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 87 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services pays
Career outlook for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services graduates
The job market for the occupations Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services 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 |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | 72,200 | +0.0% | $78,270 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | 40,800 | -1.7% | $100,340 | 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.
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services vs similar majors
How Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services 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.
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services 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 | 29 F | 83 A | 52 C | 39 D |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Break-even |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $52,442 | $77,090 | $62,032 | $57,407 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $27,948 | $48,355 | $50,308 | $34,944 |
| ROI vs cost | -7% | +305% | +114% | +54% |
| Typical debt | $20,944 | $20,000 | $21,161 | $22,920 |
| Colleges offering it | 87 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services 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 Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
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 Georgia Dahlonega, GA | Associate's | $78,292 | $24,315 | +1,068% | Strong return |
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Associate's | $72,162 | $15,000 | +789% | Strong return |
| 3 | University of Delaware Newark, DE | Associate's | $75,637 | — | +761% | Strong return |
| 4 | Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS | Associate's | $74,778 | — | +746% | Strong return |
| 5 | Duke University Durham, NC | Associate's | $94,560 | — | +737% | Strong return |
| 6 | Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA | Associate's | $72,503 | — | +704% | Strong return |
| 7 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD | Associate's | $64,229 | — | +513% | Strong return |
| 8 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NY | Associate's | $49,706 | — | +461% | Strong return |
| 9 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | Associate's | $51,950 | — | +395% | Strong return |
| 10 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY | Associate's | $66,762 | $18,938 | +389% | Strong return |
| 11 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA | Associate's | $59,312 | $14,000 | +346% | Strong return |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Associate's | $57,670 | $16,782 | +331% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA | Certificate | $61,926 | $25,308 | +327% | Strong return |
| 14 | California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA | Associate's | $48,691 | — | +304% | Strong return |
| 15 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA | Associate's | $63,118 | — | +294% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA | Associate's | $54,648 | — | +242% | Strong return |
| 17 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA | Associate's | $62,734 | $18,879 | +231% | Strong return |
| 18 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ | Associate's | $58,459 | $26,375 | +230% | Strong return |
| 19 | Binghamton University Vestal, NY | Associate's | $61,676 | $20,843 | +228% | Strong return |
| 20 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO | Associate's | $60,473 | $15,479 | +221% | Strong return |
| 21 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA | Associate's | $62,956 | $22,500 | +209% | Strong return |
| 22 | Georgetown University Washington, DC | Associate's | $71,822 | $17,500 | +205% | Strong return |
| 23 | University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA | Certificate | $68,403 | $20,500 | +199% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | Associate's | $53,477 | $13,720 | +171% | Strong return |
| 25 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Associate's | $55,450 | $16,677 | +164% | Strong 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.