Bachelor's · Dekalb, Illinois
Is Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Northern Illinois University worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 6.1 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $47,312
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $54,942
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $22,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $62k (likely $62k – $85k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $16k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IL
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 6.1 years (likely 3.9–11.3)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$94k (likely −$197k – $13k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $117k (likely −$83k – $348k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 48%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at other schools
🌍 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward languages & cultures majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Spanish Language and Culture (or French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Latin)
- AP World History: Modern
- AP Human Geography
IB Higher Level
- Language B HL
- History HL or Geography HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Northern Illinois University
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's)$120,765
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$119,872
- Curriculum and Instruction (Doctoral)$117,352
- Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$107,338
- Accounting and Related Services (Master's)$101,106
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$98,991
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$93,962
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$93,438
- Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$86,999
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$86,511
- Psychology, General (Doctoral)$85,719
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$83,573
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at other schools in Illinois
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$61,801
- Dominican University$60,311
- University of Illinois Chicago$57,594
- Elmhurst University$56,282
- Augustana College$55,909
- Loyola University Chicago$54,344
- Lake Forest College$52,598
- Monmouth College$51,377
- North Central College$51,018
- DePaul University$50,460