ROI Major

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of North Texas

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from University of North Texas earn a median salary of $58,418 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $63,429. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.2 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

$43,181

Typical Career

$58,418

Top Performers

$72,780

Estimated break-even: 9.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$389

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,868. Most students can comfortably afford about a $389 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 22.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.5%
Finance & Insurance 10.1%

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

$63,429

Nominal: $58,418 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

9.2 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 $28,297 $39,708 $54,508
5 Years After Graduation $43,181 $58,418 $72,780
10 Years After Graduation $54,634 $68,541 $84,962

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 $58,418 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $58,418 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $63,429 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 the University of North Texas experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $39,708, which increases to $58,418 after five years and reaches $68,541 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $63,428.88, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living in Texas, where the cost of living index is lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (22.6%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.5%), and Finance & Insurance (10.1%). Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 9.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is reasonable. Graduates can expect to find diverse career opportunities, particularly in education and professional services, which can enhance their long-term financial stability and career satisfaction.

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 University of North Texas 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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