Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Lander University

A Romance Languages degree from Lander faces a debt challenge that similar programs in South Carolina suggest is worth examining carefully. Based on three peer programs in the state, graduates typically carry around $26,370 in debt—about $3,600 above the national median for this field. When paired with estimated first-year earnings of roughly $36,000, that creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74, meaning nearly three-quarters of a year's salary goes toward debt obligations.

The earnings estimate itself sits right at the state median and slightly above the national benchmark for Romance Languages programs. But context matters: the top-performing programs in South Carolina—Wofford and Clemson—place graduates earning $39,000 to $39,500, suggesting there's meaningful variation in outcomes even within a modest salary range. At the other end, USC-Columbia reports significantly lower debt loads for this major, which changes the financial equation considerably.

For a field that rarely leads to high salaries, the debt burden becomes the determining factor. If your student is passionate about language study, compare this estimated debt load against what you'd actually borrow at Lander versus other options in South Carolina. The difference between $26,000 and $21,000 in debt matters more in language fields than in engineering, where higher earnings absorb debt more easily.