Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 102 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$193,160 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.
44.7 yrsModeled economic break-even
−78%Modeled 10-year ROI
$50,571Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$50,571Median reported earnings · year 4
$50,816Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,824Median federal debt
23thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
102Reporting programs
91With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,368
- Federal debt
- $24,702
- Reporting programs
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,487
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,571
- Federal debt
- $20,824
- Reporting programs
- 102
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $95,625
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $84,478
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
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$42,922National median$50,57175th percentile$55,776
91 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Duke University$88,0982Brandeis University$78,7463Emory University$76,9934University of California, Berkeley$76,7245Virginia Military Institute$73,9716Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$68,2637Texas A&M University-College Station$66,2418Michigan State University$65,6679Georgetown University$65,57410Stony Brook University$64,547Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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 · 4 crosswalk linksInterpreters and TranslatorsSOC 27-3091 · 4 crosswalk linksEnglish Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1123 · 1 crosswalk linksSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationSOC 25-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherSOC 19-3099 · 1 crosswalk links
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.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke UniversityBachelor's Degree | Durham, NC | $88,098 | Not available | +44% | Positive payoff |
| 2 | Brandeis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Waltham, MA | $78,746 | Not available | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 3 | Emory UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $76,993 | $19,760 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 4 | University of California, BerkeleyBachelor's Degree | Berkeley, CA | $76,724 | $14,000 | +36% | Positive payoff |
| 5 | Virginia Military InstituteBachelor's Degree | Lexington, VA | $73,971 | Not available | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 6 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Blacksburg, VA | $68,263 | $22,500 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | Texas A&M University-College StationBachelor's Degree | College Station, TX | $66,241 | $19,500 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Michigan State UniversityBachelor's Degree | East Lansing, MI | $65,667 | $24,915 | -20% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Georgetown UniversityBachelor's Degree | Washington, DC | $65,574 | $17,500 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | Stony Brook UniversityBachelor's Degree | Stony Brook, NY | $64,547 | $19,001 | -23% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $62,927 | $15,000 | -22% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | James Madison UniversityBachelor's Degree | Harrisonburg, VA | $62,366 | $18,398 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | $61,774 | $19,500 | -29% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $61,580 | $14,100 | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Missouri-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, MO | $61,080 | $19,286 | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $60,883 | $24,249 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | Brigham Young UniversityBachelor's Degree | Provo, UT | $60,469 | $11,621 | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | North Carolina State University at RaleighBachelor's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $60,031 | $19,250 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | The University of Texas at AustinBachelor's Degree | Austin, TX | $59,742 | $21,892 | -43% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | George Mason UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfax, VA | $58,931 | $21,850 | -45% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of California, DavisBachelor's Degree | Davis, CA | $58,443 | $16,079 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | The University of Arizona Global CampusBachelor's Degree | Chandler, AZ | $56,666 | $43,603 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Appalachian State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boone, NC | $55,778 | $23,342 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | University of California, San DiegoBachelor's Degree | La Jolla, CA | $55,776 | $13,998 | -53% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | Colorado State University-Fort CollinsBachelor's Degree | Fort Collins, CO | $55,647 | $16,225 | -60% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | University of Washington-Seattle CampusBachelor's Degree | Seattle, WA | $55,540 | Not available | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | University of Southern MaineBachelor's Degree | Portland, ME | $55,435 | $25,437 | -55% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Montana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bozeman, MT | $55,352 | $23,250 | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborBachelor's Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $55,137 | $15,124 | -56% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | The University of Texas at DallasBachelor's Degree | Richardson, TX | $54,985 | $23,156 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Northern Arizona UniversityBachelor's Degree | Flagstaff, AZ | $54,276 | $20,500 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Binghamton UniversityBachelor's Degree | Vestal, NY | $54,215 | $22,250 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillBachelor's Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $54,181 | $17,775 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | Christopher Newport UniversityBachelor's Degree | Newport News, VA | $53,564 | Not available | -69% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Gordon CollegeBachelor's Degree | Wenham, MA | $53,475 | Not available | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Western Illinois UniversityBachelor's Degree | Macomb, IL | $53,453 | $29,875 | -64% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | University of Mary WashingtonBachelor's Degree | Fredericksburg, VA | $53,282 | $20,500 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Ramapo College of New JerseyBachelor's Degree | Mahwah, NJ | $53,085 | $26,000 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $52,805 | Not available | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleBachelor's Degree | Knoxville, TN | $52,703 | $20,612 | -70% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | Clemson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Clemson, SC | $52,044 | $26,112 | -74% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Portland State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | $51,925 | $29,671 | -68% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $51,494 | $19,495 | -73% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $51,416 | $22,000 | -79% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Metropolitan State University of DenverBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $50,926 | $31,023 | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Hofstra UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $50,571 | Not available | -82% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | University of California, Santa CruzBachelor's Degree | Santa Cruz, CA | $49,763 | $17,491 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | California State University, San BernardinoBachelor's Degree | San Bernardino, CA | $49,732 | $16,449 | -76% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $48,959 | Not available | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Commonwealth University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Bloomsburg, PA | $48,495 | $27,000 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | West Virginia UniversityBachelor's Degree | Morgantown, WV | $48,331 | $20,916 | -86% | Negative payoff |
| 52 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $48,198 | $19,912 | -84% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | Colorado State University PuebloBachelor's Degree | Pueblo, CO | $47,362 | Not available | -89% | Negative payoff |
| 54 | Florida Atlantic UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $46,915 | $18,500 | -91% | Negative payoff |
| 55 | University of OregonBachelor's Degree | Eugene, OR | $46,886 | $23,187 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 56 | University of Nebraska at OmahaBachelor's Degree | Omaha, NE | $46,595 | $12,000 | -93% | Negative payoff |
| 57 | Towson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Towson, MD | $46,447 | Not available | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 58 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $46,306 | $17,283 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 59 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $46,081 | $18,706 | -96% | Negative payoff |
| 60 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | $45,607 | $26,000 | -98% | Negative payoff |
| 61 | University of KentuckyBachelor's Degree | Lexington, KY | $45,148 | $26,530 | -99% | Negative payoff |
| 62 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $44,941 | $20,096 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 63 | University at BuffaloBachelor's Degree | Buffalo, NY | $44,841 | $19,125 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 64 | Western Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bellingham, WA | $44,615 | $19,899 | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 65 | University of UtahBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $44,336 | $21,715 | -103% | Negative payoff |
| 66 | University of South FloridaBachelor's Degree | Tampa, FL | $43,813 | $16,500 | -105% | Negative payoff |
| 67 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $43,666 | $21,187 | -106% | Negative payoff |
| 68 | East Carolina UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greenville, NC | $43,012 | $25,560 | -108% | Negative payoff |
| 69 | San Diego State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Diego, CA | $42,922 | $11,000 | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 70 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $42,905 | $24,500 | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 71 | Indiana University-BloomingtonBachelor's Degree | Bloomington, IN | $42,321 | $18,635 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 72 | The University of Tennessee-ChattanoogaBachelor's Degree | Chattanooga, TN | $42,031 | Not available | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 73 | Montclair State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Montclair, NJ | $42,017 | $27,000 | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 74 | The University of Texas at San AntonioBachelor's Degree | San Antonio, TX | $41,778 | $29,250 | -114% | Negative payoff |
| 75 | Missouri State University-SpringfieldBachelor's Degree | Springfield, MO | $41,766 | $21,500 | -113% | Negative payoff |
| 76 | University of VermontBachelor's Degree | Burlington, VT | $41,124 | $21,625 | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 77 | University of Missouri-St LouisBachelor's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $40,768 | $27,000 | -118% | Negative payoff |
| 78 | Iowa State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ames, IA | $40,726 | $24,793 | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 79 | University of South AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Mobile, AL | $40,641 | $23,750 | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 80 | New Mexico State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Las Cruces, NM | $40,432 | $19,125 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 81 | Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Atlanta, GA | $40,310 | $23,267 | -119% | Negative payoff |
| 82 | The University of Texas at El PasoBachelor's Degree | El Paso, TX | $39,907 | $16,502 | -123% | Negative payoff |
| 83 | University of MemphisBachelor's Degree | Memphis, TN | $39,001 | $25,750 | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 84 | California State University, Long BeachBachelor's Degree | Long Beach, CA | $38,996 | $12,580 | -127% | Negative payoff |
| 85 | Wayne State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | $38,926 | $25,924 | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 86 | University of Central ArkansasBachelor's Degree | Conway, AR | $38,631 | Not available | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 87 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $37,441 | $20,824 | -131% | Negative payoff |
| 88 | California State University, NorthridgeBachelor's Degree | Northridge, CA | $32,939 | Not available | -158% | Negative payoff |
| 89 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasBachelor's Degree | San Juan, PR | $31,930 | $5,500 | -160% | Negative payoff |
| 90 | University of New Mexico-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Albuquerque, NM | $31,036 | Not available | -158% | Negative payoff |
| 91 | California State University, FullertonBachelor's Degree | Fullerton, CA | $29,715 | $15,833 | -174% | Negative payoff |
| 92 | University of GeorgiaBachelor's Degree | Athens, GA | Not available | $22,420 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,936 |
| 93 | University of IowaBachelor's Degree | Iowa City, IA | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $22,531 |
| 94 | Kansas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manhattan, KS | Not available | $23,091 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $19,406 |
| 95 | Wichita State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Wichita, KS | Not available | $17,750 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,194 |
| 96 | University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBachelor's Degree | Baltimore, MD | Not available | $18,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,467 |
| 97 | Cornell UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ithaca, NY | Not available | $15,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $28,690 |
| 98 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | Not available | $26,414 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $10,965 |
| 99 | Reed CollegeBachelor's Degree | Portland, OR | Not available | $21,250 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $33,013 |
| 100 | The University of Texas at ArlingtonBachelor's Degree | Arlington, TX | Not available | $16,833 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,951 |
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.