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What you'll do in college
These majors focus on the mechanics of human communication, developing fluency in a target language, and studying its literature. Linguistics majors study the science and structure of language itself. Most programs require study abroad, and upper-level classes are taught entirely in the target language. These are reading, writing, and speaking-intensive degrees.
What you'll do after college
Graduates work in translation, education, international business, diplomacy, and localization. Bilingual skills are heavily recruited in healthcare, social work, and national security. Linguistics grads are increasingly sought after in the tech sector for Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI development.
Famous graduates
- Jodie Foster — Academy Award-winning actress; B.A. in Literature in French from Yale University
- J.K. Rowling — Author of the Harry Potter series; B.A. in French and Classics from the University of Exeter
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Languages & Linguistics | 755 | 10,527 | 31% / 69% | 3% | $54,347 |
| 610 | 3,963 | 24% / 76% | 3% | $55,322 | |
| 133 | 1,761 | 30% / 69% | 4% | $49,988 | |
| 125 | 1,155 | 31% / 69% | 1% | $53,141 | |
| 331 | 780 | 25% / 75% | 3% | $56,249 | |
| 87 | 446 | 52% / 48% | 6% | $54,604 | |
| 193 | 417 | 49% / 51% | 3% | $63,805 | |
| 91 | 346 | 40% / 60% | 3% | $43,421 | |
| 84 | 294 | 40% / 60% | 4% | $55,479 | |
| 78 | 164 | 55% / 45% | 1% | ||
| 21 | 115 | 30% / 70% | 1% | $71,785 | |
| 21 | 112 | 48% / 52% | 2% | $60,266 | |
| 66 | 97 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $60,533 | |
| 27 | 82 | 22% / 78% | 5% | $56,850 | |
| 4 | 66 | 24% / 76% | 3% | $62,493 | |
| 3 | 62 | 40% / 60% | 3% | $40,456 | |
| 8 | 59 | 29% / 71% | 5% | $50,409 | |
| 7 | 54 | 24% / 76% | 6% | $62,084 | |
| 9 | 52 | 23% / 77% | 6% | $53,685 | |
| 10 | 50 | 44% / 56% | 2% | $52,697 | |
| 13 | 40 | 35% / 65% | 0% | $59,304 | |
| 1 | 36 | 47% / 53% | 6% | ||
| 1 | 36 | 39% / 61% | 3% | $37,017 | |
| 1 | 30 | 30% / 70% | 0% | ||
| 6 | 26 | 42% / 58% | 8% | ||
| 20 | 24 | 42% / 58% | 4% | ||
| 9 | 22 | 73% / 27% | 0% | $60,266 | |
| 4 | 21 | 38% / 62% | 0% | ||
| 3 | 19 | 26% / 74% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 15 | 67% / 33% | 7% | ||
| 10 | 14 | 14% / 86% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 14 | 21% / 79% | 14% | $46,365 | |
| 3 | 12 | 8% / 92% | 8% | ||
| 2 | 12 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $46,744 | |
| 1 | 12 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $48,302 | |
| 1 | 12 | 17% / 83% | 0% | ||
| 2 | 10 | 70% / 30% | 20% | $89,747 | |
| 2 | 9 | 22% / 78% | 11% | ||
| 1 | 9 | 44% / 56% | 11% | ||
| 1 | 9 | 33% / 67% | 0% | ||
| 3 | 8 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $64,636 | |
| 3 | 8 | 62% / 38% | 0% | ||
| 6 | 7 | 43% / 57% | 14% | ||
| 3 | 7 | 57% / 43% | 0% | $47,562 | |
| 2 | 5 | 40% / 60% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 5 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $69,048 | |
| 3 | 4 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 2 | 4 | 25% / 75% | 0% | ||
| 2 | 3 | 67% / 33% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 3 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 4 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% | ||
| 2 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 50% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 2 | 100% / 0% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0% / 100% | 0% |