by our College Data Analytics Team
[Romance Languages](/majors/foreign-languages-linguistics/romance-languages/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their romance languages graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where romance languages graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right romance languages school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. To help, we created our Highest Paid Romance Languages Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose romance languages degrees pay off the most.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Romance Languages Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Below are the schools whose romance languages graduates go on to earn the most.
Boston College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools in the United States. Set in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Boston College typically earn about $84,188 annually.
Wake Forest University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in romance languages, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution. Romance Languages graduates of Wake Forest University earn a median of about $74,367 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in romance languages will find them at University Of Richmond, which ranked #3. Set in the city of University of Richmond, University Of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution. Romance Languages graduates of University Of Richmond earn a median of about $71,914 a year early in their careers.
Providence College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. Set in the city of Providence, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career romance languages graduates from Providence College make a median of around $71,726 per year.
Occidental College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in romance languages, landing the #5 spot this year. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Students who complete the romance languages program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,680.
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University Of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #6 spot for romance languages salaries this year. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. Students who complete the romance languages program here go on to a median salary of roughly $70,508.
University Of San Diego placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for romance languages. Set in the city of San Diego, University Of San Diego is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the romance languages program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,974.
Duke University came in at #8 for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Durham, Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Duke University typically earn about $69,708 annually.
Creighton University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. Creighton University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Omaha. Early-career romance languages graduates from Creighton University make a median of around $68,627 per year.
Loyola University Chicago landed the #10 spot for romance languages salaries this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago typically earn about $66,967 annually.
Bentley University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. Set in the city of Waltham, Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career romance languages graduates from Bentley University make a median of around $66,917 per year.
Washington State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. Washington State University is a public school located in the town of Pullman. Early-career romance languages graduates from Washington State University make a median of around $66,735 per year.
University Of Southern California ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Romance Languages graduates of University Of Southern California earn a median of about $66,550 a year early in their careers.
East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania earned the #14 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of East Stroudsburg, East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania is a public institution. Early-career romance languages graduates from East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania make a median of around $66,168 per year.
Bradley University came in at #15 for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Bradley University typically earn about $65,869 annually.
Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #16 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Columbia University In The City Of New York typically earn about $78,873 annually.
Southern Methodist University came in at #17 for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Dallas, Southern Methodist University is a private not-for-profit institution. Romance Languages graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median of about $73,502 a year early in their careers.
Colgate University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying romance languages schools. Colgate University is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Hamilton. Romance Languages graduates of Colgate University earn a median of about $79,583 a year early in their careers.
Bucknell University earned the #19 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Lewisburg, Bucknell University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the romance languages program here go on to a median salary of roughly $80,998.
University Of Rhode Island placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for romance languages. University Of Rhode Island is a public school located in the suburb of Kingston. Romance Languages graduates of University Of Rhode Island earn a median of about $65,364 a year early in their careers.
Suny At Geneseo earned the #21 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Geneseo, Suny At Geneseo is a public institution. After graduating, romance languages degree recipients from Suny At Geneseo typically earn about $61,314 annually.
University Of Illinois At Chicago earned the #22 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. Students who complete the romance languages program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,256.
College Of The Holy Cross placed #23 among the highest-paying schools for romance languages. Set in the city of Worcester, College Of The Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Romance Languages graduates of College Of The Holy Cross earn a median of about $74,806 a year early in their careers.
Loyola Marymount University earned the #24 position for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Loyola Marymount University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Romance Languages graduates of Loyola Marymount University earn a median of about $61,114 a year early in their careers.
Rockhurst University came in at #25 for romance languages graduate earnings this year. Rockhurst University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Kansas City. Early-career romance languages graduates from Rockhurst University make a median of around $60,482 per year.
These schools also send romance languages graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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Also worth considering for earnings in romance languages:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | Brigham Young University Provo | Provo, UT | $71,117 | Full Report |
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries romance languages graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
