Best institutions to study Romance Languages
Compare 820 U.S. colleges offering Romance Languages by graduate earnings, cost, and outcomes. Federal data across 51 states.
Romance Languages programs report a median of $34,649 one year after graduation (College Scorecard, 2024), and map to CIP 16.09 and the Interpreters and Translators occupation (BLS SOC).
About Romance Languages programs
The Romance Languages program, formally known as Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, focuses on the study of languages, literatures, and cultures associated with Romance languages. This program is ideal for students interested in exploring Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and other related languages, as well as their cultural and historical contexts. Students in this program will engage with a diverse range of topics, including literature, linguistics, and cultural studies, preparing them for a variety of careers in language and communication. This program is suitable for those passionate about foreign languages and looking to deepen their understanding of the Romance language family and its global significance.
In the Romance Languages program, students develop core skills in speaking, reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking. Coursework often includes language instruction, cultural studies, and literature analysis, equipping students with a solid foundation in both the practical and theoretical aspects of Romance languages.
Top 50 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings
Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard, predominant credential).
| # | Institution | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Completions | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · Graduate degree | $63,106 | 33 | 78% | $36,004 | $28,000 |
| 2 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI Public · Bachelor's degree | $59,220 | 40 | 73% | — | $23,975 |
| 3 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $57,858 | 23 | 84% | $33,246 | $19,730 |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $54,327 | 33 | 96% | $15,315 | $20,250 |
| 5 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $53,541 | 8 | 91% | $22,903 | $16,900 |
| 6 | Walla Walla University College Place, WA Private not-for-profit · Certificate degree | $52,532 | 1 | 60% | $22,260 | $27,000 |
| 7 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $52,210 | 14 | 87% | $24,533 | $26,975 |
| 8 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $51,120 | 2 | 86% | $30,675 | $24,625 |
| 9 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $49,448 | 21 | 65% | — | $22,375 |
| 10 | Amherst College Amherst, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,322 | 13 | 94% | $16,081 | — |
| 11 | Tufts University Medford, MA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,164 | 4 | 94% | $23,570 | $14,935 |
| 12 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,487 | 32 | 65% | — | $25,250 |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $47,208 | 17 | 94% | $14,854 | $12,000 |
| 14 | CUNY York College Jamaica, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,882 | 9 | 32% | — | — |
| 15 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $46,860 | 6 | 84% | — | $15,500 |
| 16 | Georgetown University Washington, DC Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,190 | 28 | 95% | $22,242 | $17,500 |
| 17 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $46,030 | 16 | 95% | $19,452 | $19,250 |
| 18 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,868 | 17 | 65% | — | — |
| 19 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,300 | 4 | 84% | $27,178 | $19,250 |
| 20 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $45,088 | 7 | 92% | $33,774 | $27,000 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · Bachelor's degree | $45,050 | 72 | 86% | — | $23,250 |
| 22 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,073 | 3 | 82% | $38,931 | $27,000 |
| 23 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,068 | 4 | 83% | $24,453 | $26,000 |
| 24 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,821 | 34 | 76% | — | $19,212 |
| 25 | Butler University Indianapolis, IN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,678 | 1 | 80% | $35,696 | $26,870 |
| 26 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,472 | 1 | 69% | $23,964 | $23,750 |
| 27 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $43,126 | 8 | 48% | — | $26,500 |
| 28 | DePauw University Greencastle, IN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $43,049 | 3 | 75% | $20,874 | $27,000 |
| 29 | Denison University Granville, OH Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $42,992 | 5 | 79% | $23,864 | — |
| 30 | Kean University Union, NJ Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,750 | 15 | 47% | — | $30,812 |
| 31 | University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,722 | 9 | 59% | — | $25,714 |
| 32 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,436 | 54 | 68% | — | $21,534 |
| 33 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · Bachelor's degree | $42,436 | 57 | 0% | — | $21,534 |
| 34 | Colby College Waterville, ME Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $42,326 | 9 | 89% | $15,696 | $17,500 |
| 35 | Hamilton College Clinton, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $41,946 | 14 | 91% | $20,680 | $12,200 |
| 36 | Winona State University Winona, MN Public · Bachelor's degree | $41,866 | 14 | 57% | — | $20,017 |
| 37 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $41,865 | 6 | 76% | $29,726 | $21,933 |
| 38 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI Public · Bachelor's degree | $41,109 | 14 | 64% | — | $23,524 |
| 39 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $41,033 | 5 | 83% | $25,376 | $19,500 |
| 40 | University of Portland Portland, OR Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $41,018 | 3 | 80% | $33,822 | $23,499 |
| 41 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,818 | 66 | 93% | — | $11,593 |
| 42 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,586 | 20 | 49% | — | $21,250 |
| 43 | Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,562 | 5 | 55% | — | — |
| 44 | Westfield State University Westfield, MA Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,405 | 1 | 54% | — | $27,000 |
| 45 | Bates College Lewiston, ME Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,395 | 6 | 90% | $18,203 | — |
| 46 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · Bachelor's degree | $40,260 | 5 | 89% | — | $20,500 |
| 47 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,212 | 3 | 61% | $23,425 | $27,000 |
| 48 | Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,204 | 5 | 83% | $25,238 | — |
| 49 | Emory University Atlanta, GA Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,019 | 9 | 91% | $20,586 | $19,500 |
| 50 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $40,002 | 53 | 81% | $13,712 | $13,219 |
Offered across 51 states & territories
The same program, compared state by state. Pick a state for in-state earnings and institutions.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 27-3091, Interpreters and Translators, and its national outlook.
Career opportunities for graduates in Romance Languages are diverse, with an annual opening of approximately 6,900 positions in the field. The median wage for roles related to this program is around $59,440. Most careers in this area typically require at least a Bachelor's degree, and the job outlook indicates little or no change in growth at 1.7%.
Top-paying metros
Related careers
CIP-to-SOC crosswalk for Romance Languages
The SOC occupations NCES officially maps to CIP 16.09.
Under the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, CIP 16.09 (Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics) maps to 3 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) occupations, the jobs the U.S. Department of Labor links to this field of study.
| SOC code | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 25-1124 | Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary |
| 25-2031 | Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education |
| 27-3091 | Interpreters and Translatorsprimary |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk.
Skills & knowledge in Romance Languages programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this program most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
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 Romance Languages
Specializations under this field (NCES CIP 2020).
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, GeneralCIP 16.0900
A general program that focuses on one or more of the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe
- French Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0901
A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles
- Italian Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0902
A program that focuses on the Italian language and related dialects
- Portuguese Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0904
A program that focuses on the Portuguese language and related dialects
- Spanish Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0905
A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects
- Romanian Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0906
A program that focuses on the Romanian language and related dialects
- Catalan Language and LiteratureCIP 16.0907
A program that focuses on the Catalan language and related dialects
- Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, GeneralCIP 16.0908
A program that focuses on the languages and literatures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas of the world, including the Iberian, Latin American, and Lusophone worlds
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, OtherCIP 16.0999
Any instructional program in Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics not listed above.
Common questions
What languages are covered in the Romance Languages program?+
The program typically includes Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian, and Catalan.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
Students will enhance skills in speaking, writing, active listening, and critical thinking.
What types of careers can I pursue with a degree in Romance Languages?+
Graduates can work in translation, education, cultural organizations, and more.
What is the job outlook for graduates in this field?+
The job outlook shows little or no change, with an annual opening of about 6,900 positions.
How much do Romance Languages graduates earn?+
Romance Languages graduates report median earnings of $34,649 one year after graduation, per College Scorecard (2024); the Interpreters and Translators occupation pays about $66,360 on average nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the CIP code for Romance Languages?+
Romance Languages maps to CIP 16.09 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.
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.
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