ROI Major

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from University of Wisconsin - Green Bay earn a median salary of $52,100 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,784. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.5 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

$37,668

Typical Career

$52,100

Top Performers

$63,082

Estimated break-even: 11.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$347

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,342. Most students can comfortably afford about a $347 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wisconsin buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.2%
Educational Services 14.9%
Finance & Insurance 10.0%

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

$54,784

Nominal: $52,100 in Wisconsin (COL 95.1% of national avg) · 5.2% 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).

11.5 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 $29,092 $38,724 $46,264
5 Years After Graduation $37,668 $52,100 $63,082
10 Years After Graduation $43,463 $59,848 $76,487

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 $52,100 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WI, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,100 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $54,784 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 Wisconsin - Green Bay experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,724, increasing to $52,100 five years post-graduation and reaching $59,848 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average, at $54,784.44, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance (22.2%), Educational Services (14.9%), and Finance & Insurance (10.0%). Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 11.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears reasonable. While the earnings may not be as high as some other fields, the diverse career opportunities and the potential for growth in various sectors contribute to a favorable overall career outlook.

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 Wisconsin - Green Bay 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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