Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Mercer University

With earnings of $26,952 in the first year—about $7,500 below the national median for Romance language majors—Mercer's program places in the bottom fifth nationally. Within Georgia, however, it sits near the middle of the pack, reflecting how weak the state's Romance language programs are overall compared to the national landscape. Even Emory, the state's strongest performer at $40,019, barely reaches the national 75th percentile.

The debt load of $26,049 nearly matches that first-year salary, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 that makes loan repayment immediately challenging. While this debt level is actually lower than the national median for the major, it doesn't offset the earnings deficit—you're simply borrowing slightly less to earn significantly less. The gap with top Georgia programs is stark: Emory graduates earn nearly 50% more, and even UGA graduates clear $33,000.

The critical caveat here is sample size. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a handful of students pursuing graduate school or taking gap years could significantly skew these numbers. For a family considering this program, that uncertainty cuts both ways—the true outcomes might be better, but they could also be worse. Given the combination of below-average earnings and the inherent volatility in small programs, this represents a financially risky choice unless the student has compelling reasons beyond salary to pursue this specific path at Mercer.