ROI Major

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at University of West Georgia

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from University of West Georgia earn a median salary of $51,994 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $57,452. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.4 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

$40,536

Typical Career

$51,994

Top Performers

$64,402

Estimated break-even: 11.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$347

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,333. 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 Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 26.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 19.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.5%

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

$57,452

Nominal: $51,994 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).

11.4 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 $28,392 $38,416 $47,666
5 Years After Graduation $40,536 $51,994 $64,402
10 Years After Graduation $50,767 $60,696 $74,515

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 $51,994 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)
= $51,994 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $57,452 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 West Georgia can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $38,416, which increases to $51,994 after five years and reaches $60,696 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national average at $57,451.93, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to their peers across the country.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (26.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (19.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.5%). With an estimated break-even point of approximately 11.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, especially given the diverse career opportunities available in growing sectors. Overall, students can find both meaningful work and solid financial prospects in this field.

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 West 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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