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World Languages & Linguistics
What you'll do in college
These majors focus on the mechanics of human communication, developing fluency in a target language, and studying its literature. Linguistics majors study the science and structure of language itself. Most programs require study abroad, and upper-level classes are taught entirely in the target language. These are reading, writing, and speaking-intensive degrees.
What you'll do after college
Graduates work in translation, education, international business, diplomacy, and localization. Bilingual skills are heavily recruited in healthcare, social work, and national security. Linguistics grads are increasingly sought after in the tech sector for Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI development.
Famous graduates
- Jodie Foster — Academy Award-winning actress; B.A. in Literature in French from Yale University
- J.K. Rowling — Author of the Harry Potter series; B.A. in French and Classics from the University of Exeter
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings
Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Languages & Linguistics | 816 | 10,036 | 32% / 68% | 3% | $57,626 | 91% |
| Spanish | 665 | 3,535 | 25% / 75% | 1% | $56,402 | 94% |
| Linguistics | 137 | 1,792 | 31% / 69% | 4% | $57,396 | 88% |
| Foreign Languages | 137 | 1,096 | 29% / 71% | 2% | $55,218 | 90% |
| French | 361 | 751 | 29% / 71% | 4% | $59,054 | 93% |
| Japanese | 86 | 451 | 54% / 46% | 6% | $57,536 | 81% |
| German | 207 | 416 | 52% / 48% | 3% | $60,154 | 90% |
| Classical Languages | 88 | 328 | 40% / 60% | 2% | $59,782 | 97% |
| Chinese | 91 | 287 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $61,430 | 82% |
| Russian | 80 | 153 | 51% / 49% | 2% | $63,392 | 91% |
| Modern Languages | 21 | 116 | 41% / 59% | 3% | $56,609 | 91% |
| Italian | 79 | 92 | 33% / 67% | 1% | $64,222 | 93% |
| Romance Languages | 30 | 84 | 18% / 82% | 4% | $64,708 | 91% |
| Arabic | 24 | 81 | 49% / 51% | 4% | $64,006 | 84% |
| World Languages | 4 | 75 | 32% / 68% | 5% | $50,090 | 100% |
| Applied Linguistics | 9 | 64 | 30% / 70% | 8% | $52,211 | 93% |
| East Asian Languages | 11 | 58 | 26% / 74% | 5% | $60,220 | 76% |
| Portuguese | 16 | 52 | 19% / 81% | 0% | $63,119 | 92% |
| Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism | 1 | 49 | 37% / 63% | 0% | $48,199 | 90% |
| Asian Languages | 3 | 48 | 52% / 48% | 6% | $53,681 | 86% |
| Korean | 10 | 42 | 21% / 79% | 2% | $62,388 | 77% |
| Applied Language and Intercultural Studies | 1 | 35 | 43% / 57% | 3% | $67,008 | |
| Slavic Languages | 11 | 31 | 55% / 45% | 13% | $66,435 | |
| Classics | 4 | 30 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $58,714 | |
| Language Interpretation and Translation | 9 | 29 | 28% / 72% | 10% | $53,989 | 87% |
| Biblical Languages | 10 | 27 | 78% / 22% | 0% | $52,346 | 84% |
| Latin | 26 | 25 | 44% / 56% | 0% | $60,801 | |
| Near Eastern Languages | 8 | 24 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $69,448 | |
| Languages and Cultures | 4 | 23 | 30% / 70% | 0% | $56,977 | 79% |
| Modern and Classical Languages | 1 | 22 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $71,911 | |
| Filipino/Tagalog Language | 1 | 13 | 38% / 62% | 0% | $45,773 | |
| Spanish and Hispanic Studies | 1 | 12 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $69,368 | 100% |
| Near Eastern and Semitic Languages | 2 | 11 | 18% / 82% | 27% | $74,360 | 95% |
| Language Studies | 1 | 11 | 27% / 73% | 18% | $68,949 | 85% |
| Arabic Language and Literature | 10 | 10 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $66,666 | 100% |
| Spanish and Portuguese | 2 | 9 | 11% / 89% | 0% | $74,994 | 95% |
| Translation and Interpreting | 2 | 9 | 11% / 89% | 0% | $44,590 | 91% |
| Japanese Studies | 1 | 9 | 22% / 78% | 0% | $50,828 | 82% |
| Greek | 6 | 8 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $60,098 | |
| Languages | 3 | 8 | 50% / 50% | 25% | $55,280 | |
| Hispanic Studies | 2 | 8 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $59,760 | 92% |
| Classical Studies | 1 | 8 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $76,590 | |
| Hawaiian Language | 1 | 8 | 62% / 38% | 0% | $45,815 | |
| Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture | 1 | 8 | 12% / 88% | 0% | $57,846 | 100% |
| Norwegian | 3 | 7 | 57% / 43% | 0% | $59,345 | |
| French and Italian | 2 | 7 | 14% / 86% | 14% | $72,792 | |
| Languages and Culture Studies | 1 | 7 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $50,368 | 100% |
| Classics and Mediterranean Studies | 1 | 6 | 17% / 83% | 0% | $57,700 | |
| Ancient Greek | 3 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $75,693 | |
| Latin American Languages | 3 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $66,584 | 90% |
| World Languages and Culture | 1 | 4 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $81,600 | 83% |
| Hebrew | 4 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $54,556 | |
| German Studies | 2 | 3 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $56,560 | |
| Persian | 2 | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $65,800 | |
| Chinese Language & Literature | 1 | 3 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $51,576 | |
| Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages | 9 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $62,411 | |
| Russian and East European Studies | 3 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $77,043 | 88% |
| Modern Greek | 2 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,222 | |
| Scandinavian Languages | 2 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $58,058 | 100% |
| Ancient Greek & Latin | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $51,696 | |
| French Area Studies | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $74,564 | |
| Germanics | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $58,203 | |
| Japanese Language | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $78,606 | |
| Japanese Language & Literature | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $51,394 | |
| Korean Language & Literature | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 50% | $51,649 | |
| Languages and Linguistics | 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $56,357 | |
| Linguistic Studies | 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $69,072 | |
| Russian and Slavic Studies | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $66,242 | |
| American Sign Language Interpretation | 2 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $46,406 | 95% |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies | 2 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,759 | |
| Polish | 2 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $77,548 | 94% |
| Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $64,952 | |
| Francophone, Italian and Germanic Studies | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $76,186 | |
| French Studies | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $51,105 | 84% |
| German Language & Literature | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,682 | |
| Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages & Literatures | 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $51,785 | |
| South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $75,836 | |
| World Languages and Cultures | 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $53,603 | 97% |
| Celtic Languages | 2 | 0 | $77,924 | |||
| African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | 0 | $70,793 | |||
| American Indian/Native American Languages | 1 | 0 | $57,816 | |||
| Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages | 1 | 0 | $47,348 | |||
| Danish | 1 | 0 | $58,275 | |||
| Korean Language and Literature | 1 | 0 | $59,628 | |||
| Language and Culture Studies | 1 | 0 | $70,383 | |||
| Native American Languages | 1 | 0 | $55,526 |