Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Bucknell University

Bucknell's Romance Languages program posts earnings that dramatically outperform typical outcomes in this field—$51,120 in year one versus just $34,500 nationally. More impressively, graduates see substantial income growth to nearly $70,000 by year four, a trajectory that places this program well ahead of Pennsylvania peers like Franklin & Marshall ($45,300) and Villanova ($45,088). The debt load of $24,625 is modest relative to these earnings, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5.

The real question is whether these results hold at scale. With fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, this data could reflect a handful of exceptional students at a highly selective school (32% admission rate, 1389 average SAT) rather than what typical graduates achieve. Romance Languages typically leads to lower-paying career paths—education, translation, entry-level positions requiring "any bachelor's degree"—making these numbers genuinely surprising.

For parents, this looks promising but demands scrutiny. If your student is among Bucknell's caliber of admits and has clear post-graduation plans (graduate school, competitive fellowships, finance or consulting pivots), these outcomes may be realistic. If they're planning a traditional path in the field, recognize you're betting on a small sample that may not represent the broader reality of Romance Languages careers.