Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Ball State University

Ball State's Romance Languages program outperforms the national median by $3,000 in first-year earnings and keeps debt below typical levels—but the small graduate cohort here means these figures might not tell the whole story. With fewer than 30 graduates in the data, one or two outlier careers could significantly shift these numbers up or down. Still, the 60th percentile ranking among Indiana programs suggests reasonably competitive outcomes, landing between elite private schools like Notre Dame ($46,000) and larger state schools like IU-Bloomington ($33,000).

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58 is manageable—graduates owe about seven months of salary—and earnings hold relatively steady over the first four years rather than declining. For a humanities degree, this stability matters more than explosive growth. The real question is whether $38,500 annual earnings four years out aligns with your family's financial expectations and your child's career goals. Romance language graduates often pursue teaching, translation, or international business roles that may offer benefits beyond base salary.

Given the uncertainty from the small sample, treat these numbers as suggestive rather than definitive. If your child is passionate about language study and has realistic career plans that leverage this degree, Ball State delivers reasonable value at a moderate debt load. Just don't expect this major to generate lucrative early-career earnings regardless of where it's earned.