Linguistic, Comparative, at Stony Brook University

Stony Brook linguistics graduates start at just $24,407—below both the national and state medians for the major—but the trajectory tells a more interesting story. Within four years, earnings jump 65% to over $40,000, suggesting these graduates find their footing after an initially rough start. At Stony Brook's competitive admission standards (SAT 1410), this pattern may reflect students pursuing graduate school or specialized career paths that take time to launch.

The $19,000 debt load offers some protection during that lean first year, with a manageable 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio. Still, this program ranks in just the 29th percentile nationally and 40th within New York—middling performance in a state with 34 competing programs. For context, nearby SUNY Binghamton starts graduates $2,000 higher right out of the gate with similar debt burdens.

The value calculation here depends heavily on your child's post-graduation plans. If they're headed to graduate school or a specialized field where year-one earnings don't matter much, the modest debt and strong institutional reputation make this workable. But if they need immediate income after graduation, other SUNY programs deliver better starting positions for similar investment.