# American Sign Language

> American Sign Language is a field of study in the Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/american-sign-language
- CIP code: 16.16 (Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics)
- Colleges offering it: 138 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 132 | $38,820 | $40,131 | $21,000 |
| Associate's | 138 | $37,460 | $41,524 | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 52 | $38,020 | $45,131 | $21,875 |
| Master's | 7 | $58,334 | $73,269 | $29,600 |
| Doctoral | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [Gallaudet University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/gallaudet-university-1047) | Washington, DC | $70,859 | $18,750 |
| [Lamar University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/lamar-university-1438) | Beaumont, TX | $54,319 | $20,808 |
| [Madonna University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/madonna-university-1569) | Livonia, MI | $50,382 | not reported |
| [William Woods University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/william-woods-university-3279) | Fulton, MO | $49,889 | $14,000 |
| [Western Oregon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-oregon-university-3237) | Monmouth, OR | $48,295 | $21,875 |
| [Rochester Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rochester-institute-of-technology-2250) | Rochester, NY | $45,330 | $22,000 |
| [Kent State University at Kent](https://www.collegesref.com/college/kent-state-university-at-kent-main-campus-1380) | Kent, OH | $42,488 | $24,593 |
| [University of North Florida](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-florida-2997) | Jacksonville, FL | $39,944 | not reported |
| [University of New Hampshire at Manchester](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-new-hampshire-at-manchester-2979) | Manchester, NH | $38,282 | not reported |
| [Eastern Kentucky University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-kentucky-university-866) | Richmond, KY | $36,755 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/foreign-language-and-literature-teachers-postsecondary): $79,350 median pay
- [Postsecondary Teachers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/postsecondary-teachers-all-other): $77,640 median pay
- [Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/secondary-school-teachers-except-special-and-career-technical-education): $72,040 median pay
- [Interpreters and Translators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/interpreters-and-translators): $60,170 median pay

## More in Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

- [Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/romance-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 841 colleges
- [Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/linguistic-comparative-and-related-language-studies-and-services): 376 colleges
- [Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/germanic-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 324 colleges
- [Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/classics-and-classical-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 269 colleges
- [East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/east-asian-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 160 colleges
- [Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/slavic-baltic-and-albanian-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 136 colleges
- [Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/middle-near-eastern-and-semitic-languages-literatures-and-linguistics): 83 colleges
- [Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/foreign-languages-literatures-and-linguistics-other): 45 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/