Best Linguistics Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Linguistics Programs in the United States
This page ranks 29 Linguistics programs in the West by median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing. Across the 28 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $76,724 to $18,771, with a median of $49,361.
University of California-Berkeley ranks 1st on this list, reporting $76,724 for its graduates four years after completing. The gap between the top two programs is $13,797.
The list is overwhelmingly public: 28 of the 29 schools are public institutions, and only 1 is private. University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
California State University-Fullerton posts the lowest average net price, at $6,555.
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 of Linguistics graduates four years after completing and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 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 carries an average net price of $16,109 and shows median earnings of $61,580 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $60,469 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Provo, Brigham Young University reports $60,469 in median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $11,069 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $58,443 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis ranks 5th on this list and reports an average net price of $9,211 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $55,776 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Median earnings of $55,776 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing coincide with University of California-San Diego holding the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page at 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 7 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $55,647 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $20,000 in federal loans at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, which reports $55,647 in median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $55,540 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus admits 39% of applicants and shows median earnings of $55,540 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Montana State University · Bozeman, MT | $55,352 | $22,499 | $17,797 | 82.1% |
| Montana State University reports $55,352 in median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $17,797 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $54,276 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| With a cohort of 19 graduates in the earnings cohort, Northern Arizona University posts median earnings of $54,276 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $52,805 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona ranks 75th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $52,805 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $51,925 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University carries an average net price of $9,552 and shows median earnings of $51,925 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $50,926 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver ranks 13th on this list and reports an admission rate of 99% alongside an average net price of $15,327. | |||||
| 14 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $49,763 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $16,666 in federal loans at University of California-Santa Cruz, which posts median earnings of $49,763 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $48,959 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University holds an Azimuth composite rank of 51st among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $9,341 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 16 | Colorado State University Pueblo · Pueblo, CO | $47,362 | $10,051 | $9,374 | 94.9% |
| With a cohort of 14 graduates in the earnings cohort, Colorado State University Pueblo reports median earnings of $47,362 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $46,886 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| University of Oregon ranks 17th on this list and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $46,886 four years after completing, with a cohort of 35. | |||||
| 18 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $46,306 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| An average net price of $14,304 coincides with an Azimuth composite rank of 31st among nonprofit four-year institutions at University of California-Riverside. | |||||
| 19 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $44,615 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University admits 93% of applicants and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $44,615 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $44,336 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,000 in federal loans at University of Utah, which reports an average net price of $13,123 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 21 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $42,922 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| San Diego State University ranks 21st on this list and holds an Azimuth composite rank of 36th among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an admission rate of 36%. | |||||
| 22 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus · Las Cruces, NM | $40,432 | $8,889 | $6,648 | 89.0% |
| With an average net price of $8,889, New Mexico State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $40,432 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $38,996 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach posts an Azimuth composite rank of 5th among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $38,996 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | No published median | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa ranks 24th on this list and reports an average net price of $10,675 for families earning under $30,000, alongside an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $32,939 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge reports median earnings of $32,939 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $7,021. | |||||
| 26 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $31,036 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus admits 95% of applicants and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $31,036 four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $29,715 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $13,750 in federal loans at California State University-Fullerton, which ranks 6th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $24,421 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno ranks 28th on this list, with median earnings of $24,421 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $5,105 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $18,771 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder posts an admission rate of 78% and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $18,771 four years after completing. | |||||
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 West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 29 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 28 schools with a published figure. University of California-Berkeley reports $76,724, which is $13,797 above the $62,927 posted by University of California-Los Angeles.
Related rankings
- Best Linguistics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the West
- Best Linguistics Programs in the Northeast
- Best Linguistics Programs in the Midwest
- Best Linguistics Programs in the South
- Foreign Languages Colleges in the West for Social Mobility
- Foreign Languages Colleges in the West