HUMANITIES Specialization

Slavic Languages

Slavic Languages graduates earn $62,169 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $41,735 and $85,130. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.

About Slavic Languages

This page covers Slavic Languages as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Languages and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Slavic Languages is a focused area of study within Languages. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $62,169 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 143 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 536 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.


Median Earnings · 1yr
$60,240
Median Earnings · 4yr
$62,169
Colleges Offering
143
Graduates / Year
536
Avg Net Price / yr
$18,233

How Much Do Slavic Languages Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Slavic Languages, a typical graduate earns $62,169, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $41,735 and $85,130, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$60,240
1 Year After Graduation

Earnings in this field tend to be stable early on. Expect the four-year median to closely reflect your long-term starting point.

$62,169
4-Year National Median

Near the national median for college graduates.

$68,688
4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.


Earnings Range

Not every Slavic Languages graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.


A Solid Financial Return

Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $62,169 and an estimated $72,932 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.3 years.

Based on outcomes from 141 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 536 students who complete Slavic Languages programs each year, the majority (78%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

Bachelor's 78%
Master's 13%
Doctorate 5%

What Can You Do With a Slavic Languages Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Slavic Languages graduates show up in 3 different occupations, and Foreign Language and Literature Teachers pay the most at $79,350/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.

The best-paid of these is what Foreign Language and Literature Teachers earn and how fast those roles are growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +0.2% Zone 5: Extensive preparation
$79,350
$63K $103K 25th–75th pct.
Doctoral or professional degree 1,600 openings/yr 20K employed nationally
Speaking Learning Strategies Instructing Reading Comprehension Active Listening
Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL). Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
  • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
↘ -0.2% Zone 4: Considerable preparation
$72,040
$60K $93K 25th–75th pct.
Bachelor's degree 63,500 openings/yr 1.1M employed nationally
Instructing Reading Comprehension Active Listening Learning Strategies Speaking
Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.

  • Prepare students for later grades by encouraging them to explore learning opportunities and to persevere with challenging tasks.
  • Instruct through lectures, discussions, and demonstrations in one or more subjects, such as English, mathematics, or social studies.
  • Establish and enforce rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
↗ +2.0% Zone 4: Considerable preparation
$60,170
$47K $81K 25th–75th pct.
Bachelor's degree 6,000 openings/yr 52K employed nationally
Speaking Active Listening Reading Comprehension Writing Critical Thinking
Day-to-day responsibilities

Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.

  • Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
  • Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
  • Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.

Top Colleges for Slavic Languages

Not sure where to study Slavic Languages? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Columbia University in the City of New York, and the rest follow the same measures.

# College Graduates Acceptance Net Price/yr Earnings 10yr
1 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Nonprofit 33 4% $21,590 $102,491
2 Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Nonprofit 24 67.8% $15,564 $75,790
3 Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public 21 60.6% $17,339 $60,409
4 University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI · Public 16 45.2% $17,354 $73,792
5 University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA · Public 16 16.8% $21,565 $86,863
6 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Nonprofit 15 5.4% $28,699 $111,371
7 University of Georgia Athens, GA · Public 12 37.7% $13,936 $68,726
8 Portland State University Portland, OR · Public 11 90.9% $9,552 $57,906
9 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public 10 86.1% $16,674 $59,979
10 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI · Public 10 15.6% $13,138 $83,648
11 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public 10 11% $13,481 $92,446
12 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public 10 39.2% $14,091 $78,466
13 University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Nonprofit 10 4.5% $14,860 $91,885
14 Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN · Public 9 78.2% $16,264 $63,742
15 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS · Public 9 93.5% $18,059 $61,945
16 Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Nonprofit 8 7.7% $29,167 $89,363
17 Harvard University Cambridge, MA · Nonprofit 8 3.7% $19,066 $101,817
18 Duke University Durham, NC · Nonprofit 8 5.7% $29,612 $97,800
19 Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ · Public 7 89.9% $14,967 $62,668
20 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI · Public 7 84.8% $19,680 $67,253

Ranked by Slavic Languages graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Slavic Languages program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

Slavic Languages Degree: Pros & Cons

The data on Slavic Languages shows 2 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.

PROS
  • Above-average earnings Four-year median of $62,169 puts graduates ahead of many humanities and social science programs.
  • Strong hiring volume Related occupations generate more than 71,100 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
CONS
  • Advanced degree often expected Top roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
  • Declining roles in some areas 1 related career show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.

Slavic Languages Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Slavic Languages graduates earn?
$62,169 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $41,735 and $85,130, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Slavic Languages degree?
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers are one path, and it pays a median of $79,350 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Slavic Languages program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Slavic Languages bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Slavic Languages?
143 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Slavic Languages degree worth it?
$62,169 median earnings four years out against $18,233 a year in average net price. That is a reasonable payback window, best at lower-cost schools and in high-demand roles. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Slavic Languages and Languages?
Slavic Languages is the narrower of the two: Languages covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Slavic Languages-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Slavic Languages graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Slavic Languages graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Slavic Languages graduates?
It can be. At a median salary of $62,169, graduate study in Slavic Languages tends to meaningfully raise long-term income, particularly through specialized or professional programs tied to high-demand roles. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Slavic Languages graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +0.7% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Interpreters and Translators are among the strongest-growth roles at +2.0%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.

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