Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

UW-Stevens Point's Romance Languages program delivers slightly above-average national outcomes but lags behind several Wisconsin alternatives—a meaningful distinction since most students attend in-state schools for tuition reasons. While graduates earn $36,411 in their first year (better than 59% of similar programs nationally), they fall below the state median and sit in just the 40th percentile among Wisconsin's 24 Romance Language programs. More concerning, schools like UW-Green Bay and UW-Whitewater produce graduates earning $6,000-7,000 more annually from the same major within the same state system.

The debt picture is reasonable at $24,575—close to both national and state medians—yielding a manageable 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio. Graduates can realistically pay down loans on these starting salaries. However, earnings growth is modest at just 6% over four years, suggesting these positions don't accelerate quickly. The combination of below-median state earnings and limited growth means students might take longer to build financial stability compared to peers at other Wisconsin campuses.

If your child is set on Romance Languages and committed to UW system schools, this isn't a disastrous choice—the debt load is controlled and outcomes beat the national average. But the data suggests having honest conversations about why this campus versus UW-Green Bay or Whitewater, which deliver substantially stronger earnings in the same field at similar price points.