Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Long Island University

With median earnings around $37,400 and projected debt of $19,625, this program falls right in the middle of New York's Romance Languages landscape—comparable programs in the state show similar outcomes. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 means graduates would dedicate about half their first-year salary to debt, which is manageable but requires careful financial planning. That initial salary sits just above the national median for the field ($34,497), suggesting graduates aren't at a disadvantage compared to their peers elsewhere.

The challenge is that Romance Languages programs typically produce modest earnings regardless of where you study. Even Columbia's grads start at $54,327—better, certainly, but not dramatically so given the program's structure. Similar programs across New York suggest first-year earnings that rarely exceed $45,000 unless you're at the state's most elite institutions. For students genuinely passionate about language and culture, this program appears to deliver typical outcomes for the field without creating crushing debt.

The practical question is whether your child plans to leverage this degree into teaching, translation, international business, or graduate study—careers where the credential serves as a foundation rather than an endpoint. If they're treating this as general-interest coursework without a clear career direction, the modest earning potential becomes harder to justify. The debt burden is reasonable, but only if the degree connects to a purposeful plan beyond graduation.