Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at San Francisco State University

San Francisco State's Romance Languages program shows a concerning pattern despite modest debt levels. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) makes these numbers less reliable, but first-year earnings of $25,242 lag significantly—ranking in just the 11th percentile nationally and 40th within California. While that's roughly middle-of-the-pack for the state, it's still $4,000 below California's already-soft median for this major. The debt load of $15,250 is manageable compared to national averages, but even that represents 60% of that first year's earnings.

The 85% earnings jump to $46,707 by year four offers some reassurance—that's a substantial improvement that brings graduates closer to what Berkeley and UC Irvine alumni earn early on. However, this trajectory suggests graduates may need time to pivot into different career paths or build language skills into higher-paying roles. With 41% of SF State students receiving Pell grants, many families here are particularly sensitive to those lean early years.

For families considering this program, understand that you're likely looking at a difficult first year or two financially, even with below-average debt. The small sample size means individual outcomes vary widely—some graduates may do considerably better or worse than these medians suggest. If your student has a clear plan for leveraging language skills in a specific career (international business, translation, education), that context matters more than these broad numbers.