Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Stony Brook University

Romance languages at Stony Brook can be surprisingly lucrative—at least based on the small group of recent graduates we have data for. Those earning $43,821 right after graduation and $57,201 four years out place this program in the 94th percentile nationally, well ahead of the typical $34,497 for similar degrees across the country. That's a meaningful earnings advantage, though with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, we're looking at a snapshot that might not hold for every cohort.

Within New York, the picture is more competitive. Stony Brook lands in the middle of the pack, trailing Columbia and Colgate (both around $54,000) but outperforming Fordham and Hamilton. The debt load of $19,212 is manageable—matching the state median and below the national average—giving graduates a comfortable 0.44 debt-to-earnings ratio. The 31% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates are finding ways to leverage their language skills into stronger career trajectories, whether through translation, education, or related fields.

For parents, the key question is whether your student fits the profile of these successful graduates. This program appears to work well for motivated students who can compete at a selective public university (1410 SAT average), but the small sample size means you shouldn't bank on these exact numbers. If your child has clear plans for using language skills professionally, this looks like solid value. If they're still exploring, recognize you're betting on them being like the successful few in this data.