Best Linguistics Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 123 Linguistics programs in the United States by the median earnings of Linguistics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Duke University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $88,098 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the 118 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $88,098 to $12,776, with a median of $45,044. For 33 of the 123 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 89% of the list, with 110 public and 13 private nonprofit programs represented. CUNY Brooklyn College posts the lowest average net price at $3,103.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University · Durham, NC | $88,098 | $29,612 | $735 | 5.7% |
| Duke University reports median earnings of $88,098 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 6%. | |||||
| 2 | Brandeis University · Waltham, MA | $78,746 | $35,736 | $13,363 | 40.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $25,648 in federal loans at Brandeis University, which ranks 2nd on this list. | |||||
| 3 | Emory University · Atlanta, GA | $76,993 | $22,585 | $7,363 | 10.7% |
| Emory University, a private nonprofit university in Atlanta, posts median earnings of $76,993 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $76,724 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley carries an average net price of $13,481 and ranks 4th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Virginia Military Institute · Lexington, VA | $73,971 | $17,113 | $12,697 | 71.3% |
| Virginia Military Institute admits 71% of applicants and reports median earnings of $73,971 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | No published median | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University ranks 6th on this list, with an average net price of $22,253 and an admission rate of 38%. | |||||
| 7 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $68,263 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University reports median earnings of $68,263 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, and its average net price is $24,953. | |||||
| 8 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $66,241 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $66,241 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, with 8 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 9 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $65,667 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Michigan State University posts an average net price of $7,068 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | Georgetown University · Washington, DC | $65,574 | $40,815 | $5,064 | 12.9% |
| Georgetown University admits 13% of applicants, and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $65,574 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Stony Brook University · Stony Brook, NY | $64,547 | $18,784 | $12,943 | 49.0% |
| Stony Brook University ranks 11th on this list, with median earnings of $64,547 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $62,927 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles carries an average net price of $5,579 for families earning under $30,000 and reports median earnings of $62,927 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | James Madison University · Harrisonburg, VA | $62,366 | $23,322 | $11,444 | 71.5% |
| James Madison University reports median earnings of $62,366 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 44 graduates. | |||||
| 14 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $61,774 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42% of applicants and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $61,774 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $61,580 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| Median earnings of $61,580 for University of California-Santa Barbara's Linguistics graduates four years after completing coincide with a median federal debt of $13,000 among Linguistics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 16 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $61,080 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| With an average net price of $20,268, University of Missouri-Columbia reports median earnings of $61,080 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $60,883 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 17th on this list, with median earnings of $60,883 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $60,469 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Provo, Brigham Young University posts median earnings of $60,469 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $60,031 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh shows an average net price of $6,382 for families earning under $30,000, and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $60,031 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $59,742 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $59,742 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $58,931 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University admits 87% of applicants and reports median earnings of $58,931 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $58,443 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| University of California-Davis carries a median federal debt of $13,798 among Linguistics completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $58,443 four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $55,778 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| Appalachian State University reports an average net price of $16,836, and its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $55,778 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | 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 its Linguistics graduates earn a median of $55,776 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $55,647 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins reports median earnings of $55,647 for its Linguistics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $21,279. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure covers federally aided completers of Linguistics who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. For 33 of the 123 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 118 schools with a published figure. Duke University leads the list at $88,098, and the gap to second-ranked Brandeis University is $9,352.
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