Home › Wheaton College › Romance Languages

Romance Languages at Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
30 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
31
Optimistic
30
Base Case
21
Pessimistic
Earnings $37,025/yr (7% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (58% exposed)
Job Market Large (75,000 openings/yr)
ROI 2.7x earnings multiple
Ranked #148 of 198 Romance Languages & Literatures programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $463K $467K $441K
Earnings Multiple 2.6x 2.7x 2.5x
Probability of Field Employment 43% 38% 27%
DegreeOutlook Score 31 30 21

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$175,720
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$107,936
39% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,000
8.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (4 Year)
$47,994
30% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $37,025 at Wheaton College come in 7% above the national median of $34,637 for Romance Languages programs.

An earnings multiple of 2.7x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 58% task exposure — and the 5% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $26,000 debt-to-$37,025 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

At #148 out of 198 programs, Wheaton College's financial outcomes for Romance Languages trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

About Wheaton College

Wheaton College accepts 90% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a smaller student body of 2,087 in Wheaton, IL. The average net cost of $107,936 over four years represents a 39% discount from published tuition.

See all programs and financial aid at Wheaton College →

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 →

Romance Languages 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 Wheaton College

Computer Science ($81,470) Economics ($62,889) Business/Managerial Economics ($55,300) Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($47,714) Political Science and Government ($45,069) International Relations and National Security Studies ($40,084) Communication and Media Studies ($39,321) English Language and Literature, General ($32,723)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Romance Languages 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 Wheaton College's Romance Languages program score?
This program scores 30/100 — on the lower end for Romance Languages. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Romance Languages to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Romance Languages 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 →