BACHELOR'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1605

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

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff

−$180,265 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.

34.8 yrsModeled economic break-even
−71%Modeled 10-year ROI
$52,278Observed 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

$52,278Median reported earnings · year 4
$63,964Average reported earnings · year 5
$23,203Median federal debt
28thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
6Reporting programs
6With 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$49,769National median$52,27875th percentile$53,183
6 programs report year‑4 earnings.
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Rhode Island$90,9532University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$68,8983Michigan State University$53,1834University of North Carolina at Charlotte$51,3735Luther College$49,7696University of Minnesota-Twin Cities$42,989

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 · 8 crosswalk linksInterpreters and TranslatorsSOC 27-3091 · 8 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 3 crosswalk links
BEST COLLEGES FOR GERMANIC 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$90,953$23,773+73%Positive payoff
2University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's DegreeAnn Arbor, MI$68,898$18,602+3%Positive payoff
3Michigan State UniversityBachelor's DegreeEast Lansing, MI$53,183$23,000-68%Negative payoff
4University of North Carolina at CharlotteBachelor's DegreeCharlotte, NC$51,373$23,405-74%Negative payoff
5Luther CollegeBachelor's DegreeDecorah, IA$49,769Not available-82%Negative payoff
6University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's DegreeMinneapolis, MN$42,989Not available-108%Negative payoff

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.