College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2025 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools

217 Colleges in the United States
31,236 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$33,626 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you're seeking a degree in foreign languages & linguistics, you will have fewer peers than average since the major degree program is the #24 one in the country in terms of popularity.As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual reviewed 217 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of foreign languages & linguistics. Combined, these schools handed out 31,236 degrees in foreign languages & linguistics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Foreign Languages & Linguistics School

Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools Your choice of foreign languages & linguistics school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Foreign Languages & Linguistics School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Bachelor's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Master's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Doctor's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics

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 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list to help you make the college decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Foreign Languages & Linguistics in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the foreign languages & linguistics degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Foreign Languages & Linguistics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$46,459 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in foreign languages & linguistics needs to take a look at University of Notre Dame. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 120 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the foreign languages & linguistics major at University of Notre Dame get $12,833 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Notre Dame

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
299 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$28,328 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 299 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program report average early career wages of $28,328.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Los Angeles

3
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
81 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in foreign languages & linguistics has to take a look at Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 81 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Those foreign languages & linguistics students who get their degree from Vanderbilt University earn $13,582 more than the typical foreign languages & linguistics grad.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Vanderbilt University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
233 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$54,327 Median Starting Salary

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 233 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Foreign Languages & Linguistics degree recipients from Columbia University in the City of New York earn a boost of about $20,701 over the average income of foreign languages & linguistics majors.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In GA
60 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #19 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 60 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Georgia Tech in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
161 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$38,269 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 161 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those foreign languages & linguistics students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus make $4,643 more than the average foreign languages & linguistics grad.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Virginia - Main Campus

7
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$49,164 Median Starting Salary

Tufts is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Medford. This university ranks 7th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 65 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Tufts in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the foreign languages & linguistics degree program at Tufts University get $15,538 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Tufts University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
456 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$35,720 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 456 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the foreign languages & linguistics program at University of Wisconsin - Madison get $2,094 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Wisconsin - Madison

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
9.1% Growth in Graduates

Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were approximately 99 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program earn an average of $33,419 for their early career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Cornell University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
241 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$28,075 Median Starting Salary

U-M is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 241 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program report average early career income of $28,075.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were about 124 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent data year. Those foreign languages & linguistics students who get their degree from Georgetown University make $11,187 more than the standard foreign languages & linguistics student.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Georgetown University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
254 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$30,919 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 254 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make about $30,919 for their early career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Santa Barbara

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$20,334 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Amherst, UMass Amherst is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 228 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UMass Amherst in the most recent data year. After graduation, foreign languages & linguistics degree recipients usually earn around $20,334 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Massachusetts Amherst

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
219 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$23,525 Median Starting Salary

UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 13th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 219 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make an average of $23,525 for their early career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Santa Cruz

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
162 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
7.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 162 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program report average early career earnings of $34,746.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
61 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Worcester. This college ranks 9th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 61 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Holy Cross in the most recent data year. Those foreign languages & linguistics students who get their degree from College of the Holy Cross earn $18,584 more than the typical foreign languages & linguistics graduate.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from College of the Holy Cross

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$32,635 Median Starting Salary

UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were about 271 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program earn an average of $32,635 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of California - Berkeley

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In CA
117 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 116.99999999999999 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Southern California

19
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
220 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
6.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 220 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program state that they receive average early career wages of $29,238.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Florida

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
185 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$29,925 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Minneapolis, UMN Twin Cities is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 185 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program state that they receive average early career earnings of $29,925.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
251 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$27,905 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 1st out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 251 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make around $27,905 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Ohio State University - Main Campus

22
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$45,088 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were about 50 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent year we have data available. Foreign Languages & Linguistics degree recipients from Villanova University earn a boost of approximately $11,462 over the average income of foreign languages & linguistics graduates.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Villanova University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
536 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 536 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make around $33,129 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from The University of Texas at Austin

24
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 11th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 51 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the foreign languages & linguistics degree program at Bucknell University get $17,494 above the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Bucknell University

25
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$53,541 Median Starting Salary

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Hamilton. This university ranks 11th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 45 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the foreign languages & linguistics program at Colgate University earn $19,915 more than the standard college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Colgate University

Rest of the Top Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools

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27
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
28
29
30
31
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
32

33

34
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
35
Furman crest
Furman University
Greenville, SC
36
37
38
39
40
41

42
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA

43

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools award.

Rank College Location
44 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
45 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
46 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
47 Gallaudet University Washington, DC
48 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA
49 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
50 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
51 Colby College Waterville, ME
52 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
53 University of Georgia Athens, GA
54 Smith College Northampton, MA
55 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
56 Butler University Indianapolis, IN
57 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
58 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
59 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
60 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
61 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
62 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
63 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
64 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
65 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
66 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
67 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
68 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
69 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
70 Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY
71 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
72 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA

Foreign Languages & Linguistics by Region

View the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics 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

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Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Romance Languages 13,644
Linguistics & Comparative Literature 8,146
American Sign Language 2,671
East Asian Languages 2,319
Classical Languages & Literature 1,407
Germanic Languages 1,105
Middle Eastern Semitic Languages 598
Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other) 518
Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages 489
Second Language Learning 234

View All Foreign Languages & Linguistics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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