East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at St Olaf College

St. Olaf's East Asian Languages program produces first-year earnings that barely miss the national median but trail Minnesota's median by nearly $1,000—placing graduates in the 40th percentile statewide. With only six programs in Minnesota, this means just one or two schools are performing worse. The University of Minnesota graduates earn roughly $2,000 more annually, a meaningful gap when starting salaries hover around $27,000.

The debt picture offers more reassurance: at $22,602, graduates borrow slightly more than state and national medians, but the 0.83 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable for a humanities degree. Payments on this debt level would consume about 9% of take-home pay under standard repayment plans—tight but workable for someone committed to this career path. The relatively low debt load (25th percentile nationally) reflects either reasonable aid packages or families contributing significantly.

The critical caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outcomes can dramatically skew the numbers. If your student is drawn to East Asian studies specifically, they're choosing a niche field where passion matters more than ROI. But if they're flexible about their language focus, the data suggests they might find better economic footing elsewhere in Minnesota's language programs.