Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Lakeland University

Lakeland's Romance Languages bachelor's comes with an estimated debt load of $25,490—slightly higher than the national median for this field—while similar programs in Wisconsin suggest first-year earnings around $37,018. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 means graduates might need to dedicate nearly seven months of gross income just to cover what they borrowed, assuming they can secure full-time work in their field.

The earnings estimate places this program right at Wisconsin's median for Romance Languages degrees, but peer programs like UW-Green Bay and UW-Whitewater report actual outcomes about $5,000-6,000 higher annually. That gap matters when you're managing monthly loan payments. The debt figure is based on national patterns at similar private institutions rather than Lakeland's specific outcomes, adding another layer of uncertainty about what your student would actually owe.

For a humanities degree at a school with a 91% admission rate, this represents a significant financial commitment with limited clarity on returns. If your child is genuinely passionate about languages and has a clear career path—perhaps teaching, translation, or international business—the investment might make sense. But if they're exploring options or hoping the degree alone will open doors, the estimated $25,000 debt burden deserves serious reconsideration, especially when Wisconsin public universities appear to produce stronger early earnings outcomes in this same field.