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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 50 schools to find the best return on investment for romance languages students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the romance languages degrees they offer, see the list below.
University Of North Texas At Dallas tops our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools in Texas. University Of North Texas At Dallas is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Dallas. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,595, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Austin Community College District one of the best values for romance languages. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $2,550 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,590 for out-of-state students. 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.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin earned it the #3 place for romance languages. Set in the city of Odessa, The University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,607, compared with $21,900 for out-of-state students. 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 University Of Texas Of The Permian Basin admits about 95% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Texas A And M International University earned it the #4 place for romance languages. Located in the city of Laredo, Texas A And M International University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,894, compared with $19,454 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,095 to complete the romance languages program here. Romance Languages graduates of Texas A And M International University earn a median of $42,029 early in their careers. 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 The University Of Texas Pan American, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,799, compared with $19,645 for out-of-state students. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $12,633 in student loans. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from The University Of Texas Pan American generally make around $27,138. That is a strong return on a $12,633 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
1
2
3
4
5
The University Of Texas At San Antonio earned the #6 position for value in romance languages this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,326, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $21,507 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $49,955. 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 ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,717, while out-of-state students pay about $22,547. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $18,750. Romance Languages graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of $57,529 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,750 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Texas earned the #8 position for value in romance languages this year. 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. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $20,666. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $24,880. Set against $20,666 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Texas admits about 72% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Arlington earned the #9 position for value in romance languages this year. The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public school located in the city of Arlington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,950, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $16,797. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $30,505. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #10 position for value in romance languages this year. The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public school located in the city of Austin. In-state tuition and fees average $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $19,241 in student loans. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $34,929. Set against $19,241 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas State University San Marcos placed #11 among the best values for romance languages. Texas State University San Marcos is a very large public school located in the city of San Marcos. In-state tuition and fees average $11,450, compared with $22,930 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $22,133. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Texas State University San Marcos generally make around $35,781. That is a strong return on a $22,133 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Texas Tech University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value romance languages schools. Located in the city of Lubbock, Texas Tech University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,852, while out-of-state students pay about $24,157. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $19,750. Early-career romance languages graduates make about $25,814. Set against $19,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Texas Christian University placed #13 among the best values for romance languages. Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Worth. Students from in state pay about $61,740 in tuition and fees. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $22,960 in student loans. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Texas Christian University generally make around $60,035. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 44%.
Southern Methodist University landed the #14 spot for romance languages value this year. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $67,040 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for romance languages graduates is $19,730. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Southern Methodist University generally make around $57,858. That is a strong return on a $19,730 median debt. Roughly 63% of applicants are accepted.
Baylor University landed the #15 spot for romance languages value this year. Baylor University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waco. In-state tuition and fees average $58,100. Romance Languages graduates carry a median of $26,228 in student loans. Soon after graduation, romance languages degree recipients from Baylor University generally make around $34,649. Set against $26,228 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 51% of applicants are accepted.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 50 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.