Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Starting at under $30,000 makes Pitt's Romance Languages program one of the tougher financial propositions in Pennsylvania, landing below both state and national medians for first-year earnings. However, the 56% earnings jump to over $46,000 by year four suggests graduates find their footing after that challenging initial period—though with just a handful of data points, these figures could swing significantly with even one or two outliers.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $27,000, borrowing levels sit in the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of comparable programs saddle graduates with more debt. This lighter debt load helps explain the manageable 0.91 debt-to-earnings ratio, despite those modest starting salaries. Still, it's worth noting that top PA programs like Bucknell and Franklin & Marshall report earnings nearly double Pitt's figures, raising questions about whether this specific major benefits from the university's otherwise strong academic reputation.

The small sample size is the elephant in the room here. With fewer than 30 graduates reporting, a few high earners entering consulting or a couple pursuing graduate school could dramatically skew these numbers in either direction. If your child is genuinely passionate about Romance languages, Pitt's reasonable debt levels provide some cushion for exploration. But anyone choosing this path primarily for career prospects rather than intellectual passion should think carefully about that first-year salary reality.