Best Linguistics Programs in California (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 13 Linguistics programs in California by the median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing. University of California-Berkeley leads the list at $76,724, followed by University of California-Los Angeles at $62,927 and University of California-Santa Barbara at $61,580.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $48,959, with a spread of $52,303 from the top earner to the lowest. For 1 of the 13 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Every school on the list is a 13 public institution. University of California-San Diego holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank in the group, placing 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions.
California State University-Fullerton reports the lowest average net price at $6,555, while San Francisco State University posts the highest admission rate, admitting 96% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,724 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports $76,724 in median earnings for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $62,927 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| With an admission rate of 9%, University of California-Los Angeles posts median earnings of $62,927 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $61,580 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 3rd on this list and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $61,580 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $58,443 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| An average net price of $14,741 coincides with median earnings of $58,443 for Linguistics graduates of University of California-Davis four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $55,776 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $55,776 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $49,763 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| At University of California-Santa Cruz, a median federal debt of $16,740 among Linguistics completers who borrowed coincides with median earnings of $49,763 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $48,959 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| Admitting 96% of applicants, San Francisco State University shows that graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $15,371 in federal loans. | |||||
| 8 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $46,306 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $46,306 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 76%. | |||||
| 9 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $42,922 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University posts an average net price of $9,910 for families earning under $30,000 alongside median earnings of $42,922 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $38,996 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $38,996 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $32,939 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| An average net price of $7,021 coincides with median federal debt of $13,872 across all of California State University-Northridge's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $29,715 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton reports the lowest average net price on the list at $6,555 and median earnings of $29,715 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $24,421 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| Graduates of California State University-Fresno's Linguistics program reported median earnings of $24,421 four years after completing, from a cohort of 10. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Linguistics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 13 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. University of California-Berkeley leads the list at $76,724, a gap of $13,797 above University of California-Los Angeles at $62,927.
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