Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Carleton College

A Romance Languages degree from Carleton—one of the nation's most selective liberal arts colleges—comes with estimated first-year earnings around $35,000 and debt near $25,500, based on patterns from comparable Minnesota programs and similar selective institutions. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 sits in reasonable territory, but the real question is whether these projections reflect what Carleton students actually achieve.

Here's what makes direct assessment difficult: among Minnesota's Romance Languages programs with reported outcomes, graduates span from $32,000 to nearly $42,000 in first-year earnings. Carleton's highly selective profile (22% admission rate, 1491 average SAT) typically correlates with stronger professional networks and graduate school placement than these state medians suggest. Many Carleton humanities graduates pursue advanced degrees or fields like consulting and education where early earnings don't capture long-term trajectory. However, without actual outcome data for this specific program, you're making assumptions about whether Carleton's advantages translate here.

The math works if your student views this degree as preparation for graduate school or a launching pad into careers where language skills prove valuable over time. But if the goal is immediate financial return, programs at Winona State and Concordia-Moorhead show stronger early numbers. The fundamental limitation: you're evaluating Carleton's premium price and prestige against generic Minnesota outcomes that may significantly understate—or overstate—what this particular program delivers.