Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of California-Riverside

The first-year earnings of $24,453 look alarming—this program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally—but the real story is what happens next. By year four, graduates nearly double their income to $48,022, surpassing both the national median ($34,497) and California median ($29,329) for Romance language majors. This dramatic 96% growth suggests graduates are landing entry-level positions that don't immediately utilize their language skills, then transitioning into roles where those skills command stronger salaries.

The $19,000 debt load is manageable and actually below California's median for this field. At a 0.78 debt-to-earnings ratio based on first-year income, repayment starts tight but becomes far more comfortable as earnings climb. Among California's 63 programs, UC Riverside sits at the 25th percentile—solidly below top performers like UC Berkeley and Irvine, but the trajectory matters more than the starting point for a program like this.

For families, the key question is whether their student can weather that difficult first year financially. If they have support to get through the initial low-earning period—perhaps through living at home or part-time work—this becomes a reasonable investment. The program serves nearly half Pell grant recipients, suggesting many students successfully navigate this path despite economic challenges.