Education
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $79,350
- Outlook
- Little or no change
Doctoral or professional degree
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Instructing
ProgramsForeign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
CIP16.09
841 colleges offer Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. See what it covers, which degree levels are available and what graduates earn and borrow.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Colleges offering it
- 841
- at its most common level
- Bachelor's earnings
- $56,046
- median, 4 years after
- Bachelor's debt
- $19,125
- median federal loans
Colleges offering it, by degree level
- Certificate
- 161
- Associate's
- 135
- Bachelor's
- 841
- Master's
- 171
- Post-baccalaureate certificate
- 4
- Doctoral
- 72
- First professional
- 2
- Graduate/professional certificate
- 49
What it covers
About Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
A general program that focuses on one or more of the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
Definition: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs 2020, code 16.09.
Programs in this field
Colleges report these specific programs under CIP 16.09.
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
- French Language and Literature
- Italian Language and Literature
- Portuguese Language and Literature
- Spanish Language and Literature
- Romanian Language and Literature
- Catalan Language and Literature
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
By degree level
Earnings and debt by degree level
Medians across colleges of each college's own program median. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid and were working.
| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 161 | $54,4534 yrs after · 4 colleges | $20,5005 colleges |
| Associate's | 135 | $49,3334 yrs after · 3 colleges | $9,2501 college |
| Bachelor's | 841 | $56,0464 yrs after · 218 colleges | $19,125117 colleges |
| Master's | 171 | $60,6104 yrs after · 4 colleges | $20,5001 college |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 4 | $65,2531 yr after · 1 college | $26,5001 college |
| Doctoral | 72 | Not reported | Not reported |
| First professional | 2 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 49 | $123,7121 yr after · 1 college | Not reported |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Colleges with too few graduates have their earnings and debt suppressed, so the number of colleges reporting is smaller than the number offering the program.
Bachelor's programs
Where Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics graduates earn the most
Median earnings four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates in the latest year. Earnings are one measure; cost and graduation rate matter too.
- 1
Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit · 36 graduates
$114,368
debt not reported
- 2
Villanova, PA · Private nonprofit · 30 graduates
$94,964
debt not reported
- 3
Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · 40 graduates
$93,769
debt $20,500
- 4
Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit · 17 graduates
$89,275
debt not reported
- 5
Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · 13 graduates
$88,114
debt not reported
- 6
University of Notre Dame-South Bend
Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit · 75 graduates
$85,619
debt $19,500
- 7
Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit · 15 graduates
$84,654
debt $23,750
- 8
Bronx, NY · Private nonprofit · 12 graduates
$83,961
debt not reported
- 9
Hamilton, NY · Private nonprofit · 14 graduates
$81,802
debt not reported
- 10
Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit · 30 graduates
$79,925
debt $16,040
Careers
Careers this program leads to
Occupations linked to Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics by the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for each occupation.
Education
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
- Median pay
- $72,040
- Outlook
- Little or no change
Bachelor's degree
- Instructing
- Active Listening
- Learning Strategies
Arts, design and media
Interpreters and Translators
- Median pay
- $60,170
- Outlook
- As fast as average
Bachelor's degree
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
More in Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Other programs in the same area of study, by how many colleges offer them.
Every program in this area- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services376 colleges
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics324 colleges
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics269 colleges
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics160 colleges
- American Sign Language138 colleges
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics136 colleges
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics83 colleges
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other45 colleges
Questions about Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
How many colleges offer Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics?
Published colleges on CollegesRef report Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at these degree levels: certificate (161 colleges), associate's (135 colleges), bachelor's (841 colleges), master's (171 colleges), post-baccalaureate certificate (4 colleges), doctoral (72 colleges), first professional (2 colleges), graduate/professional certificate (49 colleges). Counts are from College Scorecard field-of-study data (2025).
What do Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics graduates earn?
At the median college, bachelor's graduates in Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics earn $56,046 a year four years after finishing, across 218 colleges that report earnings. Figures cover graduates who received federal aid.
Where do Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics graduates earn the most?
Vanderbilt University reports the highest median earnings for bachelor's graduates in Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: $114,368 four years after finishing, among programs with at least 10 graduates.