{
  "major": "Linguistics & Language Studies",
  "slug": "linguistics",
  "field": "Social Sciences & Humanities",
  "as_of": "2026",
  "url": "https://collegeranked.com/best-linguistics-schools/",
  "source": "U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2026 release); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics",
  "metric_definitions": {
    "median_earnings": "Median earnings one year after graduation (Scorecard)",
    "net_price": "Average annual cost of attendance after grant aid. For PUBLIC schools this reflects IN-STATE cost; out-of-state students pay more.",
    "roi_10yr_usd": "Ten years of earnings minus four years of net price",
    "score": "CollegeRanked Score (0-100) — the composite that sets rank order; see /methodology/#score",
    "public": "true = public university (net_price is in-state basis); false = private (residency-neutral)"
  },
  "total_colleges_with_reported_data": 79,
  "shown": 79,
  "ranking": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "school": "Virginia Military Institute",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 43923,
      "net_price": 17113,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 370778,
      "score": 55,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "school": "University of North Georgia",
      "state": "GA",
      "median_earnings": 32521,
      "net_price": 9823,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 285918,
      "score": 52,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "school": "University of California-Los Angeles",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 30524,
      "net_price": 12548,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 255048,
      "score": 48,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 4,
      "school": "James Madison University",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 45122,
      "net_price": 23322,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 357932,
      "score": 46,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 5,
      "school": "University of Florida",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 30205,
      "net_price": 6541,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 275886,
      "score": 42,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 6,
      "school": "George Mason University",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 40105,
      "net_price": 17915,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 329390,
      "score": 40,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 7,
      "school": "Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University",
      "state": "VA",
      "median_earnings": 37389,
      "net_price": 24953,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 274078,
      "score": 40,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 8,
      "school": "CUNY Queens College",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 24900,
      "net_price": 4195,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 232220,
      "score": 40,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 9,
      "school": "Brigham Young University",
      "state": "UT",
      "median_earnings": 34279,
      "net_price": 15564,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 280534,
      "score": 39,
      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 10,
      "school": "California State University-San Bernardino",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 24961,
      "net_price": 4564,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 231354,
      "score": 39,
      "public": true
    },
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      "rank": 11,
      "school": "Stephen F Austin State University",
      "state": "TX",
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      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
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      "rank": 12,
      "school": "Western Illinois University",
      "state": "IL",
      "median_earnings": 37155,
      "net_price": 12937,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 319802,
      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 13,
      "school": "Florida Atlantic University",
      "state": "FL",
      "median_earnings": 32756,
      "net_price": 8752,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 292552,
      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 14,
      "school": "University of California-Berkeley",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 25059,
      "net_price": 13481,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 196666,
      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 15,
      "school": "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill",
      "state": "NC",
      "median_earnings": 24658,
      "net_price": 11655,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 199960,
      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 16,
      "school": "California State University-Northridge",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 21501,
      "net_price": 7021,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 186926,
      "score": 38,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 17,
      "school": "Northern Arizona University",
      "state": "AZ",
      "median_earnings": 38177,
      "net_price": 14158,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 325138,
      "score": 37,
      "public": true
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      "rank": 18,
      "school": "West Virginia University",
      "state": "WV",
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      "net_price": 15634,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 264304,
      "score": 37,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 19,
      "school": "New Mexico State University-Main Campus",
      "state": "NM",
      "median_earnings": 27720,
      "net_price": 8889,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 241644,
      "score": 37,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 20,
      "school": "University of Michigan-Ann Arbor",
      "state": "MI",
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      "net_price": 13138,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 224438,
      "score": 37,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 21,
      "school": "Stony Brook University",
      "state": "NY",
      "median_earnings": 24407,
      "net_price": 18784,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 168934,
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 22,
      "school": "Middle Tennessee State University",
      "state": "TN",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 295124,
      "score": 35,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 23,
      "school": "The University of Texas at Dallas",
      "state": "TX",
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      "public": true
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      "rank": 24,
      "school": "Ramapo College of New Jersey",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 243528,
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      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 25,
      "school": "University of Minnesota-Twin Cities",
      "state": "MN",
      "median_earnings": 28340,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 216288,
      "score": 35,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 26,
      "school": "Montclair State University",
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      "net_price": 15566,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 175276,
      "score": 35,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 27,
      "school": "The University of Texas at Austin",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 32185,
      "net_price": 19857,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 242422,
      "score": 34,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 28,
      "school": "California State University-Fullerton",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 22723,
      "net_price": 6555,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 201010,
      "score": 34,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 29,
      "school": "East Carolina University",
      "state": "NC",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 292654,
      "score": 33,
      "public": true
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      "school": "Metropolitan State University of Denver",
      "state": "CO",
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      "score": 33,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 31,
      "school": "University of California-Santa Barbara",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 27629,
      "net_price": 16109,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 211854,
      "score": 33,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 32,
      "school": "Binghamton University",
      "state": "NY",
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 33,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 148210,
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      "public": true
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      "rank": 34,
      "school": "University of Nebraska at Omaha",
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      "rank": 39,
      "school": "Georgetown University",
      "state": "DC",
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      "rank": 40,
      "school": "University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign",
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    {
      "rank": 41,
      "school": "University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus",
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    {
      "rank": 42,
      "school": "Montana State University",
      "state": "MT",
      "median_earnings": 33415,
      "net_price": 22499,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 244154,
      "score": 29,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 43,
      "school": "The University of Texas at Arlington",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 30895,
      "net_price": 13951,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 253146,
      "score": 29,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 44,
      "school": "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee",
      "state": "WI",
      "median_earnings": 25285,
      "net_price": 15014,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 192794,
      "score": 29,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 45,
      "school": "University of Memphis",
      "state": "TN",
      "median_earnings": 23533,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 185742,
      "score": 29,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 46,
      "school": "The University of Tennessee-Knoxville",
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    },
    {
      "rank": 47,
      "school": "University of Georgia",
      "state": "GA",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 122896,
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    {
      "rank": 48,
      "school": "Virginia Commonwealth University",
      "state": "VA",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 212618,
      "score": 27,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 49,
      "school": "University of Utah",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 237710,
      "score": 27,
      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 50,
      "school": "Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania",
      "state": "PA",
      "median_earnings": 29821,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 235414,
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 51,
      "school": "University of Maryland-Baltimore County",
      "state": "MD",
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      "rank": 52,
      "school": "Missouri State University-Springfield",
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      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 54,
      "school": "Wichita State University",
      "state": "KS",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 220064,
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      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 55,
      "school": "Wayne State University",
      "state": "MI",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 158326,
      "score": 26,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 56,
      "school": "California State University-Long Beach",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 18393,
      "net_price": 10440,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 142170,
      "score": 26,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 57,
      "school": "Iowa State University",
      "state": "IA",
      "median_earnings": 25065,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 176294,
      "score": 25,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 58,
      "school": "University of Kentucky",
      "state": "KY",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 199086,
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 59,
      "school": "Southern Illinois University-Carbondale",
      "state": "IL",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 206022,
      "score": 24,
      "public": true
    },
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      "rank": 60,
      "school": "University of North Carolina at Greensboro",
      "state": "NC",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 196720,
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 61,
      "school": "University at Buffalo",
      "state": "NY",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 183050,
      "score": 23,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 62,
      "school": "The University of Texas at El Paso",
      "state": "TX",
      "median_earnings": 26475,
      "net_price": 9403,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 227138,
      "score": 23,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 63,
      "school": "University of California-Davis",
      "state": "CA",
      "median_earnings": 22965,
      "net_price": 14741,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 170686,
      "score": 23,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 64,
      "school": "Clemson University",
      "state": "SC",
      "median_earnings": 29560,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 206588,
      "score": 22,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 65,
      "school": "Appalachian State University",
      "state": "NC",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 179226,
      "score": 22,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 66,
      "school": "University of California-Riverside",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 144904,
      "score": 22,
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    {
      "rank": 67,
      "school": "Rutgers University-New Brunswick",
      "state": "NJ",
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      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 68,
      "school": "Reed College",
      "state": "OR",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 123558,
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      "public": false
    },
    {
      "rank": 69,
      "school": "University of Missouri-St Louis",
      "state": "MO",
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      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 70,
      "school": "University of New Mexico-Main Campus",
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      "rank": 71,
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 146370,
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      "rank": 74,
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      "state": "MA",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 113808,
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    },
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      "rank": 75,
      "school": "University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras",
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    {
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      "school": "Western Washington University",
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      "public": true
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      "rank": 77,
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      "public": true
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    {
      "rank": 78,
      "school": "Georgia State University",
      "state": "GA",
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      "roi_10yr_usd": 101956,
      "score": 18,
      "public": true
    },
    {
      "rank": 79,
      "school": "University of Vermont",
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      "median_earnings": 14094,
      "net_price": 19343,
      "roi_10yr_usd": 63568,
      "score": 17,
      "public": true
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}