Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Willamette University

Willamette's Romance Languages program starts graduates at $27,044—well below both the Oregon median ($32,138) and national average ($34,497) for this field. That first-year figure ranks in just the 25th percentile among Oregon programs, trailing University of Portland by over $13,000 and even falling behind larger state universities. The debt load of $21,511 is manageable at 0.80 times first-year earnings, but you're still borrowing to access below-average outcomes in a field that doesn't typically command high starting salaries.

The encouraging news is the 35% earnings growth to $36,617 by year four, which slightly exceeds the national median. However, this data comes from a very small sample—fewer than 30 graduates—which means a handful of outliers could be skewing the numbers either direction. For context, Willamette charges private tuition while delivering starting salaries closer to what you'd expect from Oregon's public universities, which makes the value proposition harder to justify unless significant financial aid brings your net cost down substantially.

If your child is passionate about Romance languages and set on Willamette, the relatively low debt prevents this from being a financial disaster. But the weak first-year earnings suggest graduates face a slow climb into financial stability. Compare actual financial aid packages carefully against Oregon's public options before committing.