Linguistic, Comparative, at San Diego State University

At $22,001 in first-year earnings, this linguistics program falls well below both national and state benchmarks—but the extremely small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift dramatically with just a few data points. The low debt load of $11,000 is the program's saving grace, coming in significantly below California's typical $15,416 for linguistics majors. That half-your-salary debt ratio is manageable, though you're still looking at modest starting pay regardless.

The 40th percentile ranking among California programs suggests middle-of-the-pack performance within the state, though that's cold comfort when the state median itself sits at just $22,723. The real concern is that 17th percentile national ranking—this program's graduates earn less than 83% of linguistics majors nationwide. For context, UCLA linguistics graduates start at $30,524, while UC Santa Barbara hits $27,629.

The small cohort size makes it hard to draw firm conclusions, but the pattern suggests this isn't a strong financial launchpad compared to peer programs in California. If your student is considering this major, have a serious conversation about career plans and whether graduate school is in the picture—many linguistics graduates need advanced degrees for their target roles. The low debt provides flexibility for that path, at least.