Best institutions to study Chinese Language and Literature
A program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature.
100 U.S. institutions graduated 524 Chinese Language and Literature students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 16.0301, a specialization of East Asian Languages (CIP 16.03), and leads most directly to the Interpreters and Translators occupation (BLS SOC 27-3091).
About Chinese Language and Literature programs
A program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Chinese Language and Literature program, part of East Asian Languages, focuses on the languages and dialects of China, along with its rich literary traditions. This program is designed for students interested in deepening their understanding of Chinese culture and communication through language study and literary analysis.
Students in this program will develop essential skills in speaking, reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking. Coursework often includes instruction in linguistics, philology, and applications of the language in various fields such as business and technology.
Credentials awarded
What Chinese Language and Literature graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Bachelor's degree292 graduates / yr · 75 institutions56%
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year120 graduates / yr · 16 institutions23%
- Associate's degree59 graduates / yr · 11 institutions11%
- Master's degree28 graduates / yr · 9 institutions5.3%
- Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years12 graduates / yr · 2 institutions2.3%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship11 graduates / yr · 5 institutions2.1%
- Award of less than 12 weeks2 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.4%
Graduates over time
Chinese Language and Literature completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 574 |
| 2013 | 619 |
| 2014 | 610 |
| 2015 | 608 |
| 2016 | 589 |
| 2017 | 555 |
| 2018 | 633 |
| 2019 | 581 |
| 2020 | 551 |
| 2021 | 537 |
| 2022 | 556 |
| 2023 | 495 |
| 2024 | 505 |
| 2025 | 524 |
Top 50 institutions for Chinese Language and Literature, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber State University Ogden, UTPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 46 | 46% | — | — |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WIPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearBachelor'sDoctoralMaster's | 36 | 90% | — | — |
| 3 | City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 23 | 40% | — | — |
| 4 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NYPublicBachelor's | 17 | 57% | — | $26,571 |
| 5 | Pasadena City College Pasadena, CAPublicAssociate's | 16 | 48% | — | — |
| 6 | Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KYPublicBachelor's | 15 | 56% | — | — |
| 7 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RIPublicBachelor's | 15 | 73% | — | — |
| 8 | Utah Valley University Orem, UTPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 15 | 45% | — | — |
| 9 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CAPublicBachelor'sMaster's | 13 | 50% | — | $19,861 |
| 10 | United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MDPublicBachelor's | 11 | 93% | — | — |
| 11 | Middlebury College Middlebury, VTPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sBachelor's | 11 | 91% | $20,918 | — |
| 12 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MDPublicBachelor's | 10 | 89% | — | $33,070 |
| 13 | University of Mississippi University, MSPublicBachelor's | 10 | 72% | — | — |
| 14 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PAPrivate not-for-profitAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsBachelor's | 10 | 78% | $36,004 | — |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WIPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 10 | 64% | — | — |
| 16 | Stanford University Stanford, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster'sDoctoral | 10 | 92% | $12,032 | — |
| 17 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, COPublicBachelor's | 9 | 74% | — | — |
| 18 | Williams College Williamstown, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 8 | 94% | $10,747 | — |
| 19 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PAPublicBachelor's | 8 | 85% | — | $25,457 |
| 20 | Brigham Young University Provo, UTPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 8 | 81% | $13,712 | — |
| 21 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MAPublicMaster'sBachelor's | 7 | 83% | — | — |
| 22 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJPublicBachelor'sMaster's | 7 | 84% | — | — |
| 23 | Hamilton College Clinton, NYPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 7 | 91% | $20,680 | — |
| 24 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CAPublicBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral | 6 | 93% | — | — |
| 25 | Laney College Oakland, CAPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 6 | 31% | — | — |
| 26 | George Washington University Washington, DCPrivate not-for-profitBachelor'sMaster's | 6 | 84% | $29,789 | — |
| 27 | St Olaf College Northfield, MNPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 6 | 84% | $18,124 | $27,328 |
| 28 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WAPublicBachelor's | 6 | 85% | — | — |
| 29 | Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 5 | 49% | — | — |
| 30 | Irvine Valley College Irvine, CAPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 5 | 57% | — | — |
| 31 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HIPublicBachelor's | 5 | 64% | — | $24,451 |
| 32 | Boise State University Boise, IDPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of less than 12 weeks | 5 | 60% | — | — |
| 33 | United States Military Academy West Point, NYPublicBachelor's | 5 | 87% | — | — |
| 34 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PAPublicBachelor's | 5 | 86% | — | — |
| 35 | Utah State University Logan, UTPublicBachelor's | 5 | 59% | — | — |
| 36 | West Virginia University Morgantown, WVPublicBachelor's | 5 | 65% | — | — |
| 37 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 4 | 91% | $22,678 | — |
| 38 | San Diego Mesa College San Diego, CAPublicAssociate's | 4 | 35% | — | — |
| 39 | Rowan University Glassboro, NJPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 4 | 67% | — | $31,513 |
| 40 | CUNY Queens College Queens, NYPublicBachelor's | 4 | 53% | — | — |
| 41 | University of Oregon Eugene, ORPublicBachelor's | 4 | 72% | — | $27,331 |
| 42 | Dickinson College Carlisle, PAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 4 | 80% | $22,831 | — |
| 43 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UTPublicBachelor's | 4 | 65% | — | — |
| 44 | University of Vermont Burlington, VTPublicBachelor's | 4 | 79% | — | — |
| 45 | University of California - Davis Davis, CAPublicBachelor's | 3 | 86% | — | $28,997 |
| 46 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CAPublicBachelor's | 3 | 93% | — | $23,980 |
| 47 | American University Washington, DCPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 3 | 75% | $30,225 | — |
| 48 | Boston University Boston, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 3 | 89% | $21,956 | — |
| 49 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MAPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 3 | 87% | $24,533 | — |
| 50 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MNPrivate not-for-profitBachelor's | 3 | 61% | $23,425 | — |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader East Asian Languages field (CIP 16.03) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 35 states
Where Chinese Language and Literature graduates come from. Each state links to all East Asian Languages programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 27-3091, Interpreters and Translators, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Chinese Language and Literature program can pursue careers as interpreters and translators, secondary school teachers, or postsecondary foreign language instructors. With an annual growth rate of 1.7% and approximately 6,900 job openings each year, the median wage for these roles is around $59,440, typically requiring a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 16.0301
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Interpreters and Translatorsprimary SOC 27-3091 | $60,170 | +1.7% Little or no change | ~6,900 | Bachelor's degree |
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education SOC 25-2031 | $72,040 | -1.6% Decline | ~66,200 | Bachelor's degree |
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1124 | $79,350 | -0.2% Little or no change | ~1,900 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Chinese Language and Literature programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
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.
Tools and technology used
Other East Asian Languages specializations
The 5 other 6-digit CIP codes under East Asian Languages (CIP 16.03).
- Japanese Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0302783 graduates / yr117 institutions
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsCIP 16.0300288 graduates / yr28 institutions
- Korean Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0303120 graduates / yr20 institutions
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsCIP 16.0399partial data64 graduates / yr6 institutions
Show 1 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Tibetan Language and Literature16.0304
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
Common questions
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Bachelor's degree, an Associate's degree, or an award for at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop speaking, writing, critical thinking, and active listening skills.
What careers can I pursue after graduation?+
You can work as an interpreter, translator, or teacher in various educational settings.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook shows little or no change, with 6,900 annual openings and a median wage of $59,440.
What is the CIP code for Chinese Language and Literature?+
Chinese Language and Literature is CIP 16.0301 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within East Asian Languages (CIP 16.03). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.
How many institutions offer Chinese Language and Literature programs?+
100 U.S. institutions reported Chinese Language and Literature graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 35 states, awarding 524 credentials in the year. That is 29.5% of all East Asian Languages graduates.
How much do Chinese Language and Literature graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Interpreters and Translators occupation, which Chinese Language and Literature most directly leads to, pays a median of $60,170 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader East Asian Languages field report median earnings of $27,331 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
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.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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