Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Elmhurst University

Elmhurst University's Romance Languages program shows first-year earnings of $35,767—slightly above the national average but landing below the Illinois state median. While ranking in the 56th percentile nationally sounds reasonable, the 40th percentile within Illinois matters more for most families, especially when in-state alternatives like Illinois State ($49,448) and Northern Illinois ($40,586) deliver substantially higher starting salaries. The $20,000 debt load is manageable at 0.56 times first-year earnings, coming in lower than both state and national medians, which helps offset the modest salary outcome.

The honest challenge here is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. This makes it harder to predict whether your student would replicate these results. For a program serving many first-generation college students (37% receive Pell grants), the debt figure provides some reassurance—it's not going to create crushing financial pressure even if career pivots are necessary.

If your child is set on studying Romance languages in Illinois, consider whether Elmhurst's smaller environment justifies accepting a potentially lower salary trajectory compared to larger state schools. The debt-to-earnings ratio isn't alarming, but you're paying for a private university experience without seeing it translate into earnings advantages within the first year post-graduation.