by our College Data Analytics Team
[Romance Languages](/majors/foreign-languages-linguistics/romance-languages/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong romance languages education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 85 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value romance languages schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in romance languages, balancing cost against outcomes.
University Of North Texas At Dallas earned the #1 spot for value among romance languages schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Dallas, University Of North Texas At Dallas is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,595, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. University Of North Texas At Dallas admits about 84% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Austin Community College District one of the best values for romance languages. Set in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,550 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $10,590. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $14,125 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $30,111. Set against $14,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in romance languages will find it at The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Odessa, The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,607 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,900. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $20,052. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $60,503. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Texas A And M International University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in romance languages, landing the #4 spot this year. Texas A And M International University is a large public school located in the city of Laredo. In-state tuition and fees average $7,894, with out-of-state students paying around $19,454. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $15,095. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Texas A And M International University generally make around $42,029. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas A And M International University admits about 44% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in romance languages will find it at New Mexico State University Main Campus, which ranked #5. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $19,026 to complete the romance languages program here. Romance Languages graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $41,860 early in their careers. Set against $19,026 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
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The University Of Texas Pan American ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Located in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,799, while out-of-state students pay about $19,645. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $12,633. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $27,138. That is a strong return on a $12,633 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio earned the #7 position for value in romance languages this year. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. Students from in state pay about $9,326 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $21,507 in student loans. Romance Languages graduates of The University Of Texas At San Antonio earn a median of $49,955 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At San Antonio admits about 87% of applicants.
University Of Houston placed #8 among the best values for romance languages. University Of Houston is a very large public school located in the city of Houston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,717, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $18,750. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $57,529. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Houston admits about 74% of applicants.
Arizona State University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Arizona State University is a very large public school located in the city of Tempe. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,223, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $21,534 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $42,436. Set against $21,534 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
University Of North Texas ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. University Of North Texas is a very large public school located in the city of Denton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,309, while out-of-state students pay about $21,149. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $20,666 in student loans. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from University Of North Texas generally make around $24,880. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Northern Arizona University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Northern Arizona University is a very large public school located in the city of Flagstaff. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,619, with out-of-state students paying around $20,044. Students borrow a median of $20,000 to complete the romance languages program here. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Northern Arizona University generally make around $33,901. That is a strong return on a $20,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The University Of Texas At Arlington came in at #12 for value in romance languages this year. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, while out-of-state students pay about $29,582. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $16,797 in student loans. Romance Languages graduates of The University Of Texas At Arlington earn a median of $30,505 early in their careers. Set against $16,797 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arizona earned the #13 position for value in romance languages this year. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,573, with out-of-state students paying around $39,903. Students borrow a median of $16,725 to complete the romance languages program here. Romance Languages graduates of University Of Arizona earn a median of $34,484 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Set in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,797 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $27,377. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $20,405 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $58,084. Set against $20,405 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Texas State University San Marcos came in at #15 for value in romance languages this year. Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $11,450 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,930. Students borrow a median of $22,133 to complete the romance languages program here. Romance Languages graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of $35,781 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,133 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
The University Of Texas At Austin landed the #16 spot for romance languages value this year. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,688 in tuition and fees, compared with $44,908 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $19,241. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin generally make around $34,929. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus came in at #17 for value in romance languages this year. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $10,140, while out-of-state students pay about $33,060. Students borrow a median of $15,187 to complete the romance languages program here. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from University Of New Mexico Main Campus generally make around $32,236. That is a strong return on a $15,187 median debt. University Of New Mexico Main Campus admits about 95% of applicants.
Texas Tech University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Set in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,852, with out-of-state students paying around $24,157. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $19,750. Romance Languages graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median of $25,814 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,750 median debt. Texas Tech University admits about 73% of applicants.
Texas Christian University earned the #19 position for value in romance languages this year. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $61,740. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $22,960 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $60,035. That is a strong return on a $22,960 median debt. The acceptance rate is 44%.
Southern Methodist University landed the #20 spot for romance languages value this year. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $67,040. Students borrow a median of $19,730 to complete the romance languages program here. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $57,858. Set against $19,730 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Southern Methodist University admits about 63% of applicants.
Baylor University landed the #21 spot for romance languages value this year. Set in the city of Waco, Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,100 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,228 to complete the romance languages program here. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Baylor University generally make around $34,649. That is a strong return on a $26,228 median debt. Baylor University admits about 51% of applicants.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 85 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 19 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.