BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1603

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: is this bachelor's degree worth it?

National picture across 26 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$181,271 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.

35.9 yrsModeled economic break-even
−72%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,011Observed earnings · year 4
Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$52,011Median reported earnings · year 4
$51,918Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,685Median federal debt
27thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
26Reporting programs
24With year-4 earnings
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$44,502National median$52,01175th percentile$55,898
24 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Rhode Island$77,2242University of Southern California$64,4213San Francisco State University$61,6034University of California, Davis$60,9395University of Maryland-College Park$58,0636North Central College$57,4247University of California, Los Angeles$55,8988University of Puget Sound$53,7929CUNY Hunter College$53,50910University of Oregon$53,064

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1124 · 6 crosswalk linksInterpreters and TranslatorsSOC 27-3091 · 6 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 5 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.

#CollegeLocationEarnings, year 4Federal debt10-year ROIVerdict
1University of Rhode IslandBachelor's DegreeKingston, RI$77,224$19,845+21%Positive payoff
2University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's DegreeLos Angeles, CA$64,421Not available-38%Negative payoff
3San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's DegreeSan Francisco, CA$61,603$14,108-28%Negative payoff
4University of California, DavisBachelor's DegreeDavis, CA$60,939$15,375-33%Negative payoff
5University of Maryland-College ParkBachelor's DegreeCollege Park, MD$58,063Not available-46%Negative payoff
6North Central CollegeBachelor's DegreeNaperville, IL$57,424Not available-53%Negative payoff
7University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's DegreeLos Angeles, CA$55,898$13,900-53%Negative payoff
8University of Puget SoundBachelor's DegreeTacoma, WA$53,792$27,000-74%Negative payoff
9CUNY Hunter CollegeBachelor's DegreeNew York, NY$53,509Not available-56%Negative payoff
10University of OregonBachelor's DegreeEugene, OR$53,064$21,201-70%Negative payoff
11Michigan State UniversityBachelor's DegreeEast Lansing, MI$52,496$20,620-71%Negative payoff
12Rowan UniversityBachelor's DegreeGlassboro, NJ$52,195Not available-73%Negative payoff
13University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's DegreeSeattle, WA$51,826Not available-71%Negative payoff
14Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's DegreeBloomington, IN$50,989$24,093-76%Negative payoff
15Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's DegreeTempe, AZ$47,331$18,750-90%Negative payoff
16University of Hawaii at ManoaBachelor's DegreeHonolulu, HI$46,563$18,076-94%Negative payoff
17Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's DegreeColumbus, OH$46,527$22,500-94%Negative payoff
18University of North Carolina at CharlotteBachelor's DegreeCharlotte, NC$44,878$28,313-101%Negative payoff
19Florida State UniversityBachelor's DegreeTallahassee, FL$44,502$17,100-102%Negative payoff
20Ball State UniversityBachelor's DegreeMuncie, IN$44,208Not available-103%Negative payoff
21Western Kentucky UniversityBachelor's DegreeBowling Green, KY$43,210Not available-108%Negative payoff
22University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's DegreeMinneapolis, MN$42,569$18,463-110%Negative payoff
23Portland State UniversityBachelor's DegreePortland, OR$39,563$25,500-125%Negative payoff
24The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's DegreeAustin, TX$38,455$20,750-125%Negative payoff
25University of Notre DameBachelor's DegreeNotre Dame, INNot available$21,040WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive$26,780
26St Olaf CollegeBachelor's DegreeNorthfield, MNNot available$22,602WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive$23,874

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.