Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Emory University

Emory's Romance Languages program outperforms nearly every comparable program in Georgia, with first-year earnings of $40,019 placing it in the 80th percentile statewide—roughly $10,000 above the state median and $7,000 higher than UGA's outcomes. The relatively modest debt load of $19,500 creates a manageable 0.49 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates could theoretically clear their loans with less than half their first year's salary. More encouraging is the trajectory: earnings jump 48% to $59,402 by year four, suggesting graduates are successfully leveraging Emory's elite network and the versatility of language skills into stronger career positions.

The caveat here is that these outcomes still reflect the challenges inherent to humanities degrees. While this program ranks in the 76th percentile nationally, that's partly because Romance Languages graduates across the country often struggle—the national median is just $34,497. Emory's brand and Atlanta's international business presence clearly provide an advantage, but you're still looking at relatively modest starting salaries compared to other majors at a school with an 11% admission rate.

For families comfortable with the humanities path, this represents one of the stronger iterations of a Romance Languages degree. The combination of low debt, solid earnings growth, and clear outperformance within Georgia makes it a reasonable choice—just understand you're paying for Emory's positioning power rather than the major itself.