California · East Asian Languages

Best colleges for East Asian Languages in California

Ranked by graduate earnings

City College of San Francisco, University of California-Davis and Pasadena City College award the most East Asian Languages degrees in California: 30, 26 and 25 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 41 California colleges offer East Asian Languages and award 419 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics program offers students a comprehensive understanding of East Asia's rich cultural heritage, language, and history. This multidisciplinary field encourages exploration of various…

Institutions
41
offering CIP 16.03
States offered
41
with a program page
Degrees / yr
419
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$19,861
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
$26,873
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
57%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Interpreters and Translators
$78,800
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of California-Davis
Davis Public · Bachelor's degree
$28,9972686%—$15,375
2San Francisco State University
San Francisco Public · Bachelor's degree
$19,8612250%—$14,108
3University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$23,9801893%—$13,900
4San Diego State University
San Diego Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$17,464676%——

Colleges awarding the most East Asian Languages degrees in California

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1City College of San Francisco
San Francisco Public
30Not reported
2University of California-Davis
Davis Public
26$28,997
3Pasadena City College
Pasadena Public
25Not reported
4Long Beach City College
Long Beach Public
23Not reported
5San Francisco State University
San Francisco Public
22$19,861
6Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill Public
21Not reported
7University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles Public
18$23,980
8Irvine Valley College
Irvine Public
18Not reported
9Palomar College
San Marcos Public
18Not reported
10San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Public
16Not reported
Show the other 31 California colleges offering East Asian Languages
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Los Angeles City CollegeLos AngelesPublic38
Stanford UniversityStanfordPrivate not-for-profit14
California State University - FullertonFullertonPublic13
University of California-BerkeleyBerkeleyPublic13
University of California-IrvineIrvinePublic12
University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraPublic10
University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesPrivate not-for-profit10
Saddleback CollegeMission ViejoPublic9
El Camino Community College DistrictTorrancePublic8
California State University - Los AngelesLos AngelesPublic6
University of California-RiversideRiversidePublic6
De Anza CollegeCupertinoPublic6
Foothill CollegeLos Altos HillsPublic6
Laney CollegeOaklandPublic6
San Diego State UniversitySan DiegoPublic6
California State University - Monterey BaySeasidePublic6
California State University - Long BeachLong BeachPublic5
San Jose State UniversitySan JosePublic5
Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremontPrivate not-for-profit4
Los Angeles Pierce CollegeWoodland HillsPublic3
Bakersfield CollegeBakersfieldPublic2
Crafton Hills CollegeYucaipaPublic2
MiraCosta CollegeOceansidePublic2
Monterey Peninsula CollegeMontereyPublic2
University of San FranciscoSan FranciscoPrivate not-for-profit2
Cerritos CollegeNorwalkPublic1
Chabot CollegeHaywardPublic1
Chaffey CollegeRancho CucamongaPublic1
Glendale Community CollegeGlendalePublic1
Grossmont CollegeEl CajonPublic1
Occidental CollegeLos AngelesPrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Interpreters and Translators (SOC 27-3091).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+1.7%
Little or no change
Openings / yr (US)
~6,900
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$59,440
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionWritingMonitoringCritical Thinking

What Interpreters and Translators earn in California

Jobs in California
5,560
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$78,800
median $70,770
Best-paying metro
$93,650
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Interpreters and Translators
$78,800 avg · 5,560 jobs
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
$116,230 avg · 2,170 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing East Asian Languages programs in California.

Which California colleges award the most East Asian Languages degrees?+

City College of San Francisco (30 graduates a year), University of California-Davis (26 graduates a year) and Pasadena City College (25 graduates a year) award the most East Asian Languages degrees in California, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 41 California colleges offer East Asian Languages.

Which East Asian Languages program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of California-Davis tops the list at $28,997. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Interpreters and Translators earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Interpreters and Translators in California is $78,800 (median $70,770), across about 5,560 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the East Asian Languages program?+

The East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics program offers students a comprehensive understanding of East Asia's rich cultural heritage, language, and history. This multidisciplinary field encourages exploration of various…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, writing, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Interpreters and Translators?+

The national job outlook is about +1.7% growth with around 6,900 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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