Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at DePauw University

DePauw's Romance Languages program stands out nationally—ranking in the 90th percentile for graduate earnings—but comes with an important caveat: these numbers reflect fewer than 30 graduates, meaning one finance-bound graduate or stay-at-home parent could significantly skew the data. Still, the $43,049 first-year earnings edge out Notre Dame's program ($46,030 isn't far ahead given DePauw's smaller sticker price) and substantially beat the Indiana median of $37,553. The $27,000 debt load sits above state and national averages, though the 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable compared to many humanities programs.

The real question is whether these results are repeatable. With only 16% of students receiving Pell grants, DePauw attracts relatively affluent families who may provide post-graduation support that inflates outcomes. The program could be genuinely strong—DePauw's 1287 average SAT suggests capable students who network well—or these numbers might reflect a handful of exceptional graduates rather than typical outcomes.

For families comfortable with moderate debt and confident their child will leverage DePauw's alumni network (critical for humanities majors), this looks defensible. But if you're banking on $43,000 starting salaries to justify the investment, understand you're making decisions based on a very small sample where outcomes likely vary widely.