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Romance Languages & Literatures at University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
37 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
37
Optimistic
37
Base Case
28
Pessimistic
Earnings $34,003/yr (-2% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (58% exposed)
Job Market Large (75,000 openings/yr)
ROI 14.7x earnings multiple (6.4x out-of-state)
Ranked #87 of 198 Romance Languages & Literatures programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Romance Languages & Literatures graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $448K $454K $432K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 14.5x 14.7x 14.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.3x 6.4x 6.1x
Probability of Field Employment 43% 38% 27%
DegreeOutlook Score 37 37 28

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$30,832
Out-of-state: $71,152 (6.4x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$58,492
-90% less than sticker · See by income
Reported Earnings (4 Year)
$51,915
53% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $34,003/yr, roughly in line with the $34,637 national median for Romance Languages & Literatures. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 14.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 58% task exposure — and the 4% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Ranked #87 out of 198 programs, University of Houston-Downtown's Romance Languages & Literatures offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

About University of Houston-Downtown

University of Houston-Downtown accepts 91% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a mid-sized student body of 12,812 in Houston, TX. With 52% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Houston-Downtown →

Top Career Paths

Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary $77,010/yr
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580/yr
Interpreters and translators $59,440/yr
View all 3 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 198 schools offering Romance Languages & Literatures →

Romance Languages & Literatures at Other Schools

Bentley University ($66,917) University of Rhode Island ($59,220) Southern Methodist University ($57,858) Columbia University in the City of New York ($54,327) Colgate University ($53,541) College of the Holy Cross ($52,210) Bucknell University ($51,120) Illinois State University ($49,448)

Other Majors at University of Houston-Downtown

Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($68,144) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($56,475) Accounting and Related Services ($54,128) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($53,764) Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians ($51,840) Management Information Systems and Services ($51,314) Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences ($50,894) Mathematics ($49,496)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Romance Languages & Literatures trade programs on TradeSchoolWorth →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does University of Houston-Downtown's Romance Languages & Literatures program score?
This program scores 37/100 — on the lower end for Romance Languages & Literatures. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Romance Languages & Literatures to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Romance Languages & Literatures careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 58% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →