Best Linguistics Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Linguistics Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 25 Linguistics programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing. Michigan State University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $65,667 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 24 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $65,667 to $18,154, with a median of $41,267. For 10 of the 25 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 96% of the list, with 24 public schools and 1 private nonprofit school. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page. Indiana State University posts the lowest average net price at $10,873.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $65,667 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $65,667 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $61,774 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans, and its Linguistics completers earned a median of $61,774 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $61,080 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia admits 78% of applicants and posts median earnings of $61,080 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $55,137 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| An admission rate of 16% coincides with median earnings of $55,137 for Linguistics graduates at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $53,453 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% |
| Western Illinois University reports median earnings of $53,453 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,937. | |||||
| 6 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | $52,107 | $14,860 | -$1,264* | 4.5% |
| The only private nonprofit institution on the list, University of Chicago reports median earnings of $52,107 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Nebraska at Omaha · Omaha, NE | $46,595 | $13,441 | $10,534 | 87.0% |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha ranks 7th on this list, with median earnings of $46,595 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing and a school-wide median federal debt of $19,000. | |||||
| 8 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $46,081 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| With an average net price of $16,778, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities posts median earnings of $46,081 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $44,941 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $44,941 for its Linguistics completers four years after completing, drawing from an earnings cohort of 42 graduates. | |||||
| 10 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $42,905 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale admits 87% of applicants, and its Linguistics graduates earned a median of $42,905 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $42,321 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington reports median earnings of $42,321 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,509 in federal loans. | |||||
| 12 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $41,766 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $41,766 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $17,613. | |||||
| 13 | University of Missouri-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $40,768 | $15,071 | $13,031 | 62.7% |
| University of Missouri-St Louis reports median earnings of $40,768 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 8 graduates. | |||||
| 14 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $40,726 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University ranks 14th on this list and shows an average net price of $10,582 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 15 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $38,926 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
| Wayne State University admits 81% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $21,250 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $34,420 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranks 246th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $14,889. | |||||
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $30,409 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reports median earnings of $30,409 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 9 graduates. | |||||
| 18 | University of Central Missouri · Warrensburg, MO | $28,019 | $14,462 | $10,965 | 63.8% |
| An average net price of $10,965 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies University of Central Missouri's 18th position on this list. | |||||
| 19 | University of Missouri-Kansas City · Kansas City, MO | $26,933 | $13,310 | $10,576 | 72.2% |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City admits 72% of applicants and reports median earnings of $26,933 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $25,194 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University ranks 319th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $15,407. | |||||
| 21 | Wichita State University · Wichita, KS | $24,421 | $13,194 | $9,734 | 94.0% |
| Wichita State University reports median earnings of $24,421 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 6 graduates. | |||||
| 22 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | No published median | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
| Indiana State University ranks 22nd on this list and shows an average net price of $6,455 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 23 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $20,140 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa admits 84% of applicants and reports median earnings of $20,140 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $18,771 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus ranks 87th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $14,600. | |||||
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $18,154 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 25th on this list, with median earnings of $18,154 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
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 the Midwest appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 10 of the 25 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. The range and median below cover the 24 schools with a published figure. Michigan State University reports $65,667, and the gap to second-ranked University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $3,893.
Related rankings
- Best Linguistics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Linguistics Programs in the Northeast
- Best Linguistics Programs in the South
- Best Linguistics Programs in the West
- Foreign Languages Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
- Foreign Languages Colleges in the Midwest