Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Monmouth College

Monmouth College graduates from this program earn $32,036 one year out—about $4,400 below Illinois' median for language majors and $2,500 below the national average. While the debt load of $27,000 sits just above typical borrowing for this field, it's the earnings gap that matters more here. Illinois State graduates in the same program earn over 50% more at $49,448, and even DePaul and NIU grads start in the high $30,000s to low $40,000s. At 40th percentile statewide, this program trails most in-state alternatives.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 is manageable—you're not looking at crushing payments—but that $32,000 starting salary in Monmouth (a small town with limited job prospects) means graduates likely need to relocate for better opportunities. Language majors often pursue teaching, translation, or graduate school, paths where that initial salary can improve significantly. But right out of the gate, this program isn't setting graduates up as strongly as comparable Illinois schools.

One important caveat: fewer than 30 students graduated from this program in the measurement period, so these numbers could shift substantially with a different cohort. If your child is passionate about languages and drawn to Monmouth's small-college environment, this could still work—but financially, larger Illinois publics offer better launching pads at similar or lower debt levels.