Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Minnesota-Duluth

Minnesota-Duluth's Romance Languages program graduates earn $31,174 in their first year—nearly $4,000 below the state median and trailing most Minnesota competitors. Among the 23 schools offering this degree in Minnesota, UMD ranks in just the 40th percentile, falling behind programs at Winona State ($41,866) and even the flagship Twin Cities campus ($31,622). Given that Minnesota families often choose between these in-state options for tuition reasons, this performance gap matters.

The debt burden of $24,657 translates to a manageable ratio of 0.79, which is actually slightly above both state and national medians for this field. That's the silver lining here: graduates aren't taking on disproportionate debt for these outcomes. However, the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—means these numbers could swing considerably year to year, making it harder to predict what your student might actually experience.

For families specifically drawn to UMD's campus in Duluth, understand you're paying more for less earning power compared to other Minnesota programs. If language study is the goal, the data suggests looking at Winona State or Mankato first. If UMD's location or other factors are compelling, ensure your student has a clear plan for how they'll leverage this degree—perhaps through double majoring or building marketable skills alongside their coursework—since the first-year earnings alone won't carry much weight.