Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics

Best institutions to study African Languages

Compare 1 U.S. colleges offering African Languages by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 1 states.

Institutions
1
offering CIP 16.02
States offered
1
with a program page
With earnings data
0
College Scorecard
Degrees / yr
2
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
1 year after graduation
US pay · Interpreters and Translators
$66,360
BLS OEWS May 2025

About African Languages programs

The African Languages program, officially titled African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, focuses on the diverse languages and cultures of Africa. This program is designed for students interested in exploring the continent's rich history, societies, and linguistic diversity, preparing them for various roles in academia, translation, and cultural exchange. Students in this program will engage with the complexities of African languages and literatures, gaining insights into the continent's cultures and societies. This program is ideal for those passionate about language, culture, and social sciences, and who seek to contribute to the understanding of Africa's multifaceted identity.

Learn more about African Languages

What you'll learn

Core skills acquired in the African Languages program include speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, and writing. Students will also develop critical thinking and learning strategies, alongside knowledge in English and foreign languages, customer service, and public safety.

Top 1 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).

Graduate earnings for this program are not yet reported by College Scorecard. Explore the states below to see where it's offered.

Offered across 1 states

The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.

StateInstitutionsMedian earningsTop institution by earnings
Wisconsinlimited1

Careers & outlook

The payoff after graduation: occupation 27-3091, Interpreters and Translators, and its national outlook.

Graduates of the African Languages program can pursue various careers, particularly in translation and interpretation, with an outlook showing little or no change in job growth at 1.7%. The field offers approximately 6,900 annual openings, with a median wage of $59,440, typically requiring a bachelor's degree.

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
National employment
52,060
Interpreters and Translators
US average pay
$66,360
annual, BLS OEWS May 2025
US median pay
$60,170
annual

Top-paying metros

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$93,650avg
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$93,460avg
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$92,880avg
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$91,110avg
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$90,940avg

Related careers

Interpreters and Translators
$66,360 avg · 52,060 jobs
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
$89,990 avg · 19,830 jobs

CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for African Languages

The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 16.02.

Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 16.02 (African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics) maps to 2 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.

SOC codeOccupation
25-1124Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
27-3091Interpreters and Translatorsprimary

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.

Skills & knowledge in African Languages programs

From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.

Skills you'll build

Speaking
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Writing
Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Learning Strategies

Knowledge areas

English Language
Foreign Language
Customer and Personal Service
Education and Training
Administrative
Public Safety and Security

What graduates do on the job

  • Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
  • Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
  • Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
  • Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
  • Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
  • Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.

Concentrations within African Languages

Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).

  • African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
    CIP 16.0201

    A program that focuses on one or more of the languages native to the African continent, including, but not limited to, Bantu languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Niger-Congo languages, Khoisan languages

Common questions

What is the focus of the African Languages program?+

The program focuses on the study of African languages, literatures, and the cultures of Africa.

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop skills in speaking, active listening, critical thinking, and translation.

What career opportunities are available after graduation?+

Graduates can work in translation, interpretation, and related fields.

What is the job outlook for this field?+

The job outlook shows a growth rate of 1.7% with about 6,900 annual openings.

What is the CIP code for African Languages?+

African Languages maps to CIP 16.02 in the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the U.S. Department of Education taxonomy used for College Scorecard Field of Study earnings and IPEDS completions.

Zoom outAll programs
African Languages by stateWisconsin

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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