BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 102 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
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.
44.7 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−78%Estimated return after 10 years
$50,571Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$124,290
$8,000Annual price−$156,290
$16,000Annual price−$188,290
$17,000Current college-wide context−$192,290
$24,000Annual price−$220,290
$32,000Annual price−$252,290
$40,000Annual price−$284,290
Outcomes at a glance
$50,571Typical earnings four years after completion
$50,816Average earnings five years after completion
$20,824Typical federal student debt
23thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
41Degrees awarded in 2024–25
91College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 19 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
How much do Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $50,571 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $20,824. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $42,922 to $55,776 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,368
- Federal debt
- $24,702
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,487
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,571
- Federal debt
- $20,824
- Programs in the comparison
- 102
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $95,625
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $84,478
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 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.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Duke University
$88,098 four years after completionDurham, NC · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtBrigham Young University
$11,621 among completer borrowersProvo, UT · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of California, Los Angeles
125 reported awards in 2024–25Los Angeles, CA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$76,993Observed year-4 earnings$55,137
Duke University$29,612 price · $88,098 earningsBrandeis University$35,736 price · $78,746 earningsEmory University$22,585 price · $76,993 earningsUniversity of California, Berkeley$13,481 price · $76,724 earningsVirginia Military Institute$17,113 price · $73,971 earningsVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$24,953 price · $68,263 earningsTexas A&M University-College Station$21,315 price · $66,241 earningsMichigan State University$19,680 price · $65,667 earningsGeorgetown University$40,815 price · $65,574 earningsStony Brook University$18,784 price · $64,547 earningsUniversity of California, Los Angeles$12,548 price · $62,927 earningsJames Madison University$23,322 price · $62,366 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $61,774 earningsUniversity of California, Santa Barbara$16,109 price · $61,580 earningsUniversity of Missouri-Columbia$20,268 price · $61,080 earningsRutgers University-New Brunswick$24,406 price · $60,883 earningsBrigham Young University$15,564 price · $60,469 earningsNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh$17,303 price · $60,031 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $59,742 earningsGeorge Mason University$17,915 price · $58,931 earningsUniversity of California, Davis$14,741 price · $58,443 earningsThe University of Arizona Global Campus$31,266 price · $56,666 earningsAppalachian State University$16,836 price · $55,778 earningsUniversity of California, San Diego$12,470 price · $55,776 earningsColorado State University-Fort Collins$21,279 price · $55,647 earningsUniversity of Washington-Seattle Campus$14,091 price · $55,540 earningsUniversity of Southern Maine$13,596 price · $55,435 earningsMontana State University$22,499 price · $55,352 earningsUniversity of Michigan-Ann Arbor$13,138 price · $55,137 earningsThe University of Texas at Dallas$18,267 price · $54,985 earnings
$12,548Annual college-wide average net price$31,266
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
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
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$79,350 median wage19,830 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$49,060–$136,050 typical wage rangeInterpreters and Translators$60,170 median wage52,060 jobs nationwide+2.0% projected growth through 2035 · 6,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$37,070–$103,660 typical wage rangeSocial Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$101,110 median wage37,100 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 2,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$66,120–$160,300 typical wage rangeEnglish Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$78,760 median wage57,720 jobs nationwide+0.0% projected growth through 2035 · 4,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$48,270–$137,250 typical wage rangeSecondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$72,040 median wage1,065,210 jobs nationwide-0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 63,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$48,780–$107,600 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
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.