ROI Major

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Georgia

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.03

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from University of Georgia earn a median salary of $53,107 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,682. The degree typically pays for itself in 11 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

$36,412

Typical Career

$53,107

Top Performers

$72,585

Estimated break-even: 11 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$354

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,426. Most students can comfortably afford about a $354 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 19.5%
Educational Services 17.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 11.7%

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

$58,682

Nominal: $53,107 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).

11 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 $22,327 $34,107 $51,929
5 Years After Graduation $36,412 $53,107 $72,585
10 Years After Graduation $44,398 $64,628 $86,929

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 $53,107 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)
= $53,107 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $58,682 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 East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from the University of Georgia experience a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $34,107, which increases to $53,107 five years later and reaches $64,628 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $58,681.77, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards, despite a lower cost of living in Georgia.

The top industries for graduates include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (19.5%), Educational Services (17.1%), and Health Care & Social Assistance (11.7%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree is moderate. While the earnings potential is promising, students should weigh their career aspirations and industry opportunities against the time and financial commitment required for this educational path.

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

Compare with Another School

See how the East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree at University of Georgia 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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