ROI Major

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at Weber State University

UT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 16.09

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree from Weber State University earn a median salary of $67,465 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in UT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,184. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.1 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

$44,206

Typical Career

$67,465

Top Performers

$96,354

Estimated break-even: 7.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$450

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,622. Most students can comfortably afford about a $450 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Utah buys what costs $1.04 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.3%
Educational Services 14.0%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.9%

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

$65,184

Nominal: $67,465 in Utah (COL 103.5% of national avg) · 3.4% lower 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).

7.1 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 $29,013 $41,995 $60,425
5 Years After Graduation $44,206 $67,465 $96,354
10 Years After Graduation $62,446 $93,187 $152,658

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 $67,465 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in UT, which has a cost-of-living index of 103.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,465 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0350) = $65,184 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 Weber State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $41,995, which increases to $67,465 five years post-graduation and reaches $93,187 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $65,183.57, indicating that while the cost of living in Utah is slightly higher than the national average, graduates still maintain a competitive earning potential.

The top industries for graduates are Health Care & Social Assistance (33.3%), Educational Services (14.0%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.9%). This distribution suggests that graduates can find diverse career opportunities, particularly in sectors that value language skills and cultural competencies. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 7.1 years, indicating a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the career prospects and financial outcomes appear favorable for students considering 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 Weber State University 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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