Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

UW-Whitewater's Romance Languages program punches well above its weight, with graduates earning $42,722 in their first year—ranking in the 89th percentile nationally and topping most Wisconsin programs in this field. That's $8,000 more than the typical Romance Languages graduate nationwide and nearly $6,000 above Wisconsin's state median. Among the state's 24 programs, only UW-Green Bay and UW-Eau Claire edge it out, despite Whitewater's much higher admission rate. The debt load of $25,714 sits just slightly above state averages but translates to a manageable 0.60 ratio to first-year earnings.

The earnings trajectory looks solid too, growing 10% to reach $46,775 by year four. For a humanities degree often criticized for weak financial returns, these outcomes suggest something is working—whether it's strong regional employer connections, effective career services, or graduates who successfully leverage language skills into practical roles.

The major caveat: these figures come from a very small cohort (under 30 graduates), so individual circumstances could heavily influence the numbers. One graduate landing a particularly lucrative job—or struggling to find work—could swing these medians considerably. Still, even accounting for that uncertainty, the consistent pattern of outperformance versus both state and national benchmarks suggests this program delivers tangible value. If your student is genuinely interested in language study, this represents a relatively low-risk path within a field that often struggles with post-graduation earnings.