ROI Major

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Augusta University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from Augusta University earn a median salary of $48,030 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,072. The degree typically pays for itself in 14.5 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$38,573

Typical Career

$48,030

Top Performers

$61,003

Estimated break-even: 14.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$320

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,003. Most students can comfortably afford about a $320 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 39.2%
Educational Services 20.5%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$53,072

Nominal: $48,030 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

14.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $26,371 $36,841 $47,574
5 Years After Graduation $38,573 $48,030 $61,003
10 Years After Graduation $44,398 $54,615 $64,085

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $48,030 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,030 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $53,072 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from Augusta University experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $36,841, which rises to $48,030 after five years and reaches $54,615 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $53,071.82, indicating that graduates may have a competitive edge in terms of real income relative to their peers across the country.

The primary sectors that employ these graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (39.2%), Educational Services (20.5%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.4%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 14.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be moderate. While the earnings potential is promising, students should consider the time it takes to recoup educational costs when evaluating their career prospects.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree at Augusta University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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