DEEPCOLLEGES · OPS · v3.3 SCHOOLS·INDEXED 120 SOURCES IPEDS · CDS · SCORECARD LAST·SYNC 2026.04.29
MAJOR GUIDE · 2026

Best Colleges for Foreign Languages: Ranked by Graduate Salary, Not Prestige
— ranked by salary, not prestige.

We rank by what graduates actually earn — not by reputation surveys.

01

The ranking

sortable · by salary outcomes
Rank School Salary Accept ROI Verdict
Amherst College $58,900 9.8%
REACH
Barnard College $58,900 8.0%
REACH
Bowdoin College $58,900 8.0%
REACH
04 Brown University $58,900 5.2%
REACH
05 Colby College $58,900 6.8%
REACH
06 Columbia University $58,900 4.2%
REACH
07 Cornell University $58,900 8.2%
REACH
08 Dartmouth College $58,900 6.2%
REACH
09 Duke University $58,900 6.8%
REACH
10 Harvard University $58,900 3.5%
REACH
11 New York University (NYU) $58,900 9.4%
REACH
12 Northeastern University $58,900 5.7%
REACH
13 Northwestern University $58,900 7.1%
REACH
14 Pomona College $58,900 6.8%
REACH
15 Princeton University $58,900 4.5%
REACH
16 Rice University $58,900 7.9%
REACH
17 Stanford University $58,900 3.9%
REACH
18 Swarthmore College $58,900 6.9%
REACH
19 UCLA $58,900 9.0%
REACH
20 University of Chicago $58,900 4.8%
REACH
21 University of Pennsylvania $58,900 5.9%
REACH
22 Vanderbilt University $58,900 6.3%
REACH
23 Williams College $58,900 10.0%
REACH
24 Yale University $58,900 4.5%
REACH
25 Boston University $55,100 10.8%
REACH
26 Carnegie Mellon University $55,100 11.4%
REACH
27 Colgate University $55,100 11.9%
REACH
28 Davidson College $55,100 14.5%
REACH
29 Emory University $55,100 11.1%
REACH
30 Georgetown University $55,100 13.1%
REACH

Foreign Languages Major FAQs

Which college has the highest Foreign Languages salary?
Amherst College Foreign Languages graduates earn the highest median 4-year-out salary on this list, at $58,900. Salary by program is the most reliable signal for ROI on major choice.
What is the most competitive Foreign Languages program?
Harvard University is the most selective school on this list with a 3.5% overall acceptance rate. Top programs in Foreign Languages often admit at significantly lower rates than the school-wide average.
Which colleges have an easier path to study Foreign Languages?
Among schools on this list, Davidson College is the most accessible at a 14.5% acceptance rate. Less selective schools can still produce strong Foreign Languages grads — what matters is fit, faculty, and your own work.
What GPA do I need for Foreign Languages programs?
GPA requirements vary widely. Reach schools (acceptance < 20%) typically expect 3.8+ unweighted GPAs with rigorous coursework. Match schools (20-50%) expect 3.3-3.7. Less selective schools may admit at 3.0+. Major-specific admission (engineering, CS, business) is often tougher than the school average.
Should I pick a school based on Foreign Languages ranking or overall prestige?
Major-specific salary outcomes beat overall school prestige for most career paths. A top program in Foreign Languages at a less famous school often outperforms a mid-tier program at a brand-name school. The salary table on this page ranks programs by what graduates actually earn, not by reputation surveys.
▎FROM THE DATA TO YOUR LIST

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Data source: IPEDS, College Scorecard.