Linguistic, Comparative, at The University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP's linguistics program shows first-year earnings of $26,475—about $5,000 below the Texas median for this major. That 25th percentile ranking among Texas programs is notable, placing graduates well behind similar programs at UT Austin ($32,185) and even UT Arlington ($30,895). For a major that already skews toward lower starting salaries nationally, this gap matters. The good news is that debt remains manageable at $16,502, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 that won't crush recent graduates.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means one or two outliers could skew these numbers significantly, so don't treat them as gospel. Still, the pattern suggests UTEP linguistics graduates may face an uphill climb in the Texas job market compared to peers from other state schools. UTEP serves a predominantly low-income student body (61% on Pell grants), and while the open admission policy creates access, it doesn't guarantee the networking and placement resources that might explain stronger outcomes elsewhere.

If your student is passionate about linguistics and UTEP is the affordable option, the modest debt keeps this workable—they won't be buried in payments. But if they have reasonable alternatives at UT Dallas or Arlington without significantly higher costs, those programs show materially better earnings outcomes. Consider whether UTEP's location and community fit outweigh the financial tradeoff.