East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Indiana University-Bloomington

The small sample size here is critical—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could swing dramatically with just a handful of different career outcomes. That said, the story they tell raises questions: while IU-Bloomington's East Asian Languages program performs right at the national median, it ranks in just the 10th percentile among Indiana programs, where the state median is nearly double at $49,559. Notre Dame graduates in this field earn almost three times as much at $71,769, suggesting significant variation in outcomes even within the state.

The earnings trajectory compounds these concerns. Starting around $27,000, graduates see incomes decline to $24,209 by year four—an 11% drop during years when most careers should be gaining momentum. The debt load of $24,093 isn't catastrophic by national standards (16th percentile, meaning lower than most programs), but it still equals 88% of first-year earnings when those earnings are this low. For context, humanities graduates typically need several years to establish career footing, but negative growth is unusual even in this field.

Given the tiny sample size, these numbers might not reflect a typical graduate's experience. But if your child is drawn to this program, have a frank conversation about realistic career plans and whether they have the financial cushion to absorb potentially modest early earnings. The debt is manageable, but only if they can supplement income or live frugally during those first years.