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# Best Linguistics Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated October 1, 2026

Regional list from [Best Linguistics Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-linguistics-programs/)

This page ranks the 25 Linguistics programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing. [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $65,667 for its graduates after completing.

Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $65,667 to $18,154, with a median of $40,768. For 11 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 the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, the strongest showing on the page. Indiana State University posts the lowest average net price at $10,873.

## The ranked list

25 schools in list order

| 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](/school/michigan-state-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting [median earnings of $65,667](/school/michigan-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) left with a [median of $19,500](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) [admits 78% of applicants](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/admissions/) 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%](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/admissions/) coincides with median earnings of $55,137 for Linguistics graduates at [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/school/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 5 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $53,453 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% |
|  | [Western Illinois University](/school/western-illinois-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $53,453](/school/western-illinois-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-chicago/majors/) reports [median earnings of $52,107](/school/university-of-chicago/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha/majors/) ranks 7th on this list, with [median earnings of $46,595](/school/university-of-nebraska-at-omaha/outcomes/) 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,](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/cost/) [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/school/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities/majors/) 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](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $44,941](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) [admits 87% of applicants](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/admissions/), 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](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/majors/) reports [median earnings of $42,321](/school/indiana-university-bloomington/outcomes/) 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](/school/missouri-state-university-springfield/majors/) ranks 12th on this list, with [median earnings of $41,766](/school/missouri-state-university-springfield/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-missouri-st-louis/majors/) reports [median earnings of $40,768](/school/university-of-missouri-st-louis/outcomes/) 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](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) ranks 14th on this list and shows an [average net price of $10,582](/school/iowa-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 15 | Wayne State University · Detroit, MI | $38,926 | $12,766 | $11,090 | 81.2% |
|  | [Wayne State University](/school/wayne-state-university/majors/) [admits 81% of applicants](/school/wayne-state-university/admissions/) 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](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/majors/) [ranks 246th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/majors/) reports [median earnings of $30,409](/school/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-central-missouri/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 accompanies [University of Central Missouri](/school/university-of-central-missouri/majors/)'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](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/majors/) [admits 72% of applicants](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/admissions/) 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](/school/eastern-michigan-university/majors/) [ranks 319th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/eastern-michigan-university/) 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](/school/wichita-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $24,421](/school/wichita-state-university/outcomes/) for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 6 graduates. |
| 22 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | $21,052 | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
|  | [Indiana State University](/school/indiana-state-university/majors/) ranks 22nd on this list and shows an [average net price of $6,455](/school/indiana-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 23 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $20,140 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
|  | [University of Iowa](/school/university-of-iowa/majors/) [admits 84% of applicants](/school/university-of-iowa/admissions/) 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](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/majors/) [ranks 87th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/) 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](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/) ranks 25th on this list, with [median earnings of $18,154](/school/university-of-wisconsin-madison/outcomes/) 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, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled. For 11 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. 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](/rankings/best-linguistics-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Linguistics Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-linguistics-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Linguistics Programs in the South](/rankings/best-linguistics-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Best Linguistics Programs in the West](/rankings/best-linguistics-programs-in-the-west/)
-   Foreign Languages Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility
-   Foreign Languages Colleges in the Midwest