Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services maps to BLS occupations averaging about $112,078, with roughly 28,260 workers nationwide in those roles. About 7,564 degrees completed in recent IPEDS counts; median program completion runs near 60%.
Key Statistics
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: what the data shows
Common questions about linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degree?
A Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1601 in the 00.0016 field family (00.16).
IPEDS counted 7,564 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.16 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1602)
- American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1610)
- American Sign Language (CIP 00.1616)
- Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1613)
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1612)
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1603)
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1605)
- Iranian/Persian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1608)
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1611)
- Modern Greek Language and Literature (CIP 00.1606)
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1609)
- Second Language Learning (CIP 00.1617)
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1604)
- South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1607)
- Southeast Asian and Australasian/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1614)
- Turkic, Uralic-Altaic, Caucasian, and Central Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (CIP 00.1615)
How long does it take to get a linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1601 in our file:
- 94 Bachelor's (20.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 368 Master's (78.5% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
- 7 Doctorate (1.5% of IPEDS total)—varies by program
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Instructing, Speaking, Active Learning, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | 26,830 | $33,880 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 16,570 | $53,990 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | 36,260 | $59,950 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 178,790 | $95,410 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 59,590 | $78,270 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a linguistic, comparative, and related language studies and services degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,824 and median net price is $15,914.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,824 Median In-State Public
$50,700 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors are, on average, $8,824 for in-state public colleges, and $50,700 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
7,564 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 4 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | 42,100 |
| 5 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laney College | CA | $1,148 |
| 2 | Cypress College | CA | $1,150 |
| 3 | Fullerton College | CA | $1,150 |
| 4 | San Diego Miramar College | CA | $1,150 |
| 5 | MiraCosta College | CA | $1,152 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Cleveland Community College | NC | $414 |
| 3 | Durham Technical Community College | NC | $1,183 |
| 4 | South Texas College | TX | $1,291 |
| 5 | Reedley College | CA | $1,584 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services programs.
Graduation Rates
60.25% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.13% Average Graduation Rate
136 Institutions Reporting
47.35% - 71.11% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.16 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1602
- American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1610
- American Sign Language CIP 00.1616
- Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1613
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1612
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1603
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1605
- Iranian/Persian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1608
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1611
- Modern Greek Language and Literature CIP 00.1606
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1609
- Second Language Learning CIP 00.1617
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1604
- South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1607
- Southeast Asian and Australasian/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1614
- Turkic, Uralic-Altaic, Caucasian, and Central Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics CIP 00.1615
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1601 in the survey year used in our extract (469 total across levels below).
- 94 Bachelor's (20.0% of IPEDS total)
- 368 Master's (78.5% of IPEDS total)
- 7 Doctorate (1.5% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $112,078. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials | $40,321 | 26,830 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | $68,426 | 16,570 |
| Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors | $100,129 | 36,260 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | $117,150 | 178,790 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $145,212 | 59,590 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$106,936 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors is $106,936.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors.
Occupations by Share
28,260 2023 Workforce
The number of Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.
Age distribution for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services majors.
About
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
In 2023, 7,564 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.
CIP Code
00.1601 - Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $112,078. The largest mapped role by headcount is Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (11,430 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,824 in-state at public colleges and $50,700 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.