College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Foreign Languages & Linguistics

1,239 Ranked Colleges
33,333 Degrees Awarded
$37,200 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Foreign Languages & Linguistics is the 24th most popular major in the country with 33,333 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, foreign languages and linguistics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,172 and had an average of $22,048 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major” ranking looked at 1,239 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in foreign languages and linguistics. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in foreign languages and linguistics.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to 364 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full BYU Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 337 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UCLA Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to 328 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 474 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

Out of the 1,239 schools in the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 286 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 275 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full IU Bloomington Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

7

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 273 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

8

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to 270 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at UCSB

9

University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of California - Davis

10

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 256 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at UC Santa Cruz

11
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 247 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Arizona

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 242 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

13

University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school awarded 239 degrees to qualified ’s foreign languages and linguistics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at UMass Amherst

14

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to 265 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Columbia

15
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 204 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Virginia Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

16

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 469 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at UT Austin

17

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #17. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to 212 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

18
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

With a ranking of #18, New York University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 190 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at NYU

19

University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. University of Hawaii at Manoa is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 186 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UH Manoa Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

19
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 197 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Foreign Languages & Linguistics Report

21

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 185 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at CU - Boulder

22

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 181 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

23

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 180 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Maryland - College Park

24
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 173 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Georgia

25
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #25. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 164 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Chicago

25
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major ranking. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 206 ’s foreign languages and linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Florida

Rest of the Best 49 in Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
28
28
30
31
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
32
33
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University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island
34
35
36
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
36
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
36
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
39
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
39
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
39
42
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
43
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
44
44
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York
44
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
47
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
48
49
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Foreign Languages & Linguistics Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Washington University in St LouisSaint Louis, MO
52Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
52Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
54The Graduate Center, CUNYNew York, NY
55American River CollegeSacramento, CA
55Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
57Montclair State UniversityMontclair, NJ
57Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA
59Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
59Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
61Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
61Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
61University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
61Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
65William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
RankCollegeLocation
65University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
67University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
68Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA
69San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
70Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
71Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
71Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
71California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
71Duke UniversityDurham, NC
75University of DelawareNewark, DE
76Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
77Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
77Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
77University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
80University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
80North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
82University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
82Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI
82California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
82University of Nevada - RenoReno, NV
82Mt. San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA
87University of KentuckyLexington, KY
87San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
89Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
89Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
RankCollegeLocation
89Hunter CollegeNew York, NY
92The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX
93Gallaudet UniversityWashington, DC
94The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
94University of California - IrvineIrvine, CA
96Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
96Kent State University at KentKent, OH
96United States Military AcademyWest Point, NY
99University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
99University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
99California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
102University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
103San Joaquin Delta CollegeStockton, CA
104Bakersfield CollegeBakersfield, CA
105New Mexico State University - Main CampusLas Cruces, NM
105University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
107College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
107Palomar CollegeSan Marcos, CA
107St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
110Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
110The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
110University of RochesterRochester, NY
113Boston UniversityBoston, MA
113Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
113California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia, PA
RankCollegeLocation
113University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
113California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
118University of HoustonHouston, TX
118Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
120Queens CollegeQueens, NY
120Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
122University of MemphisMemphis, TN
122Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
124Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
124Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
126Butler UniversityIndianapolis, IN
126Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
128Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg, PA
128Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
128Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
128California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
128University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
128Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
134Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
134California State University - BakersfieldBakersfield, CA
136Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL
136Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
136James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
136Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
140University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
RankCollegeLocation
140Austin Community College DistrictAustin, TX
140Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS
143Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA
144University of DenverDenver, CO
144Georgia Institute of Technology - Main CampusAtlanta, GA
144College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
147University of MississippiUniversity, MS
147University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
149Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
149Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD
149University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
152University of Wisconsin - La CrosseLa Crosse, WI
152Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
154California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
154Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
154University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
154William Woods UniversityFulton, MO
154Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, TX
154Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
154Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
161Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
161The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
161Truman State UniversityKirksville, MO
164Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
165Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, MI
RankCollegeLocation
165University of VermontBurlington, VT
165Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo, MI
168George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
168Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
168Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, TN
168Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
168West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV
168Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
168Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
175Idaho State UniversityPocatello, ID
175Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC
175Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
175Sierra CollegeRocklin, CA
175Golden West CollegeHuntington Beach, CA
175Long Beach City CollegeLong Beach, CA
181Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA
181Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
181Hope CollegeHolland, MI
181Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
185George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
185University of Northern ColoradoGreeley, CO
185Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, CA
185Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY
185Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
185Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMonterey, CA
RankCollegeLocation
185University of Puget SoundTacoma, WA
185Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
185Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN
185Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
185Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, MI
185University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE

Notes and References

References

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