Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Butler University

Butler's Romance Languages program substantially outperforms national expectations—graduates earn $43,678 in their first year, ranking in the 93rd percentile nationally compared to the typical $34,497 across all programs. That's $9,000 more than the national median, though within Indiana, the program sits closer to the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile. Butler trails only Notre Dame and matches DePauw among major Indiana programs, while considerably outpacing IU-Bloomington. The debt burden of $26,870 is notably higher than the state median ($21,702), resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62—manageable, but less favorable than the typical Indiana graduate in this field faces.

The earnings trajectory looks promising, with graduates seeing 23% growth to $53,606 by year four. That upward momentum suggests these students are establishing careers rather than treading water in entry-level positions. However, the critical caveat here is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift considerably with just a few different outcomes.

For families willing to accept the uncertainty of small-sample data, this program appears to deliver above-average outcomes for Romance Languages majors, particularly if your student benefits from Butler's Indianapolis location and professional networks. The premium you're paying in debt seems to translate into stronger early-career earnings, though prospective students should confirm the program still maintains similar placement success with current cohorts.