South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics maps to BLS occupations averaging about $92,450, with roughly 39,600 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 60%; median in-state published tuition is about $12,643.
Key Statistics
South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: what the data shows
Common questions about south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics degree?
A South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1607 in the 00.0016 field family (00.16).
IPEDS counted 25 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics 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)
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (CIP 00.1601)
- 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)
- 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)
What do you learn in south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Speaking, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Interpreters and Translators (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 south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | 53,360 | $59,440 |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | 7,600 | $30,460 |
| Technical Writers | 55,530 | $91,670 |
| Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | 11,960 | $49,130 |
| Film and Video Editors | 28,860 | $70,980 |
| Writers and Authors | 47,800 | $72,270 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a south asian languages, literatures, and linguistics degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $12,643 and median net price is $18,225.
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 South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$12,643 Median In-State Public
$63,008 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics majors are, on average, $12,643 for in-state public colleges, and $63,008 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
25 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | 31,588 |
| 2 | Harvard University | MA | 7,755 |
| 3 | University of Chicago | IL | 7,540 |
| 4 | Brown University | RI | 7,273 |
| 5 | Maharishi International University | IA | 774 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $12,643 |
| 2 | Maharishi International University | IA | $16,530 |
| 3 | Harvard University | MA | $59,076 |
| 4 | University of Chicago | IL | $66,939 |
| 5 | Brown University | RI | $68,230 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $13,485 |
| 2 | Harvard University | MA | $16,816 |
| 3 | Maharishi International University | IA | $18,225 |
| 4 | University of Chicago | IL | $18,967 |
| 5 | Brown University | RI | $26,572 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 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 South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 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
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services CIP 00.1601
- 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
- 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
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 $92,450. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | $78,569 | 53,360 |
| Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners | $41,322 | 7,600 |
| Technical Writers | $110,175 | 55,530 |
| Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | $53,927 | 11,960 |
| Film and Video Editors | $101,742 | 28,860 |
| Writers and Authors | $99,513 | 47,800 |
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
$97,975 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics majors is $97,975.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics majors.
Occupations by Share
39,600 2023 Workforce
The number of South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
Age distribution for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 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 South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics majors.
About
South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
In 2023, 25 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
CIP Code
00.1607 - South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $92,450. The largest mapped role by headcount is Interpreters and Translators (53,360 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $12,643 in-state at public colleges and $63,008 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.