College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools

137 Colleges in the United States
2,909 Master's Degrees
$48,019 Avg Early-Career Salary
Foreign Languages & Linguisticsmaster's programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major degree program ranks #27 out of the 37 majors we look at each year. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 137 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,909 master's degrees in foreign languages & linguistics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Foreign Languages & Linguistics School for Your Master's Degree

Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools Your choice of foreign languages & linguistics for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality foreign languages & linguistics program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for foreign languages & linguistics students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Foreign Languages & Linguistics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The foreign languages & linguistics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Foreign Languages & Linguistics in the United States

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for foreign languages & linguistics students seeking a a master's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

21 Top Schools for a Master's in Foreign Languages & Linguistics

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Duke University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Duke is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Durham.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Annual Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is a great choice for students pursuing a master's degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in foreign languages & linguistics needs to take a look at University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Notre Dame

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
23 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Georgetown University if you want to pursue a master's degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Georgetown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Georgetown University

5
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Vanderbilt University

6
Gallaudet crest
Gallaudet University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
46 Annual Graduates

Gallaudet is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Gallaudet University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Southern California

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Annual Graduates

NYU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from New York University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Annual Graduates

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Wisconsin - Madison

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Monterey, Middlebury Institute is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Virginia - Main Campus

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
23 Annual Graduates

UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Los Angeles

14
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Medford, Tufts is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Tufts University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
19 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Berkeley

15
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2 Annual Graduates

Brown is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Providence.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Brown University

16
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Boston University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18 Annual Graduates

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Chicago

18
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
13 Annual Graduates

Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Villanova.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Villanova University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8 Annual Graduates

UCONN is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Storrs.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Connecticut

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5 Annual Graduates

Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Waltham.More information about a master’s in foreign languages & linguistics from Brandeis University

Rest of the Top Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Foreign Languages & Linguistics students that almost earned our Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
26 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
21 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
22 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
23 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
24 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
25 University of Delaware Newark, DE

Foreign Languages & Linguistics by Region

View the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Linguistics & Comparative Literature 1,167
Romance Languages 975
Classical Languages & Literature 217
East Asian Languages 143
American Sign Language 112
Germanic Languages 88
Middle Eastern Semitic Languages 88
Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages 49
Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other) 26
South Asian Languages 19

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Sciences 16,693
Theology & Religious Vocations 14,027
Communication & Journalism 10,997
English Language & Literature 7,909
History 3,509
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 3,139
Philosophy & Religious Studies 2,087
Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 2,044
Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies 1,942

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options