James Madison University Linguistics: earnings, debt & careers

Linguistics graduates of James Madison University earn a median $62,366 four years after graduating ($45,122 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $18,398. That is $11,795 above the U.S. median for Linguistics graduates ($50,571 across 89 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 7 Virginia colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$62,366

U.S. median for this major: $50,571.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$45,122

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$18,398

About 30% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $20,556.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$23,322 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $31,735. College Scorecard.

Linguistics at Virginia colleges

Every Virginia college we cover that reports Linguistics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Virginia Military Institute$73,971—$17,11376%
2Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$68,263$22,500$24,95386%
3James Madison University$62,366$18,398$23,32280%
4George Mason University$58,931$21,850$17,91568%
5Christopher Newport University$53,564—$23,01572%
6University of Mary Washington$53,282$20,500$20,66766%
7Virginia Commonwealth University$45,607$26,000$23,43363%

6 more Virginia colleges offer Linguistics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Linguistics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Harrisonburg area$78,300
Virginia$72,170
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Interpreters and Translators

Harrisonburg area$40,580
Virginia$63,030
U.S.$60,170

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +2.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at JMU, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

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JMU Linguistics questions

How much do JMU Linguistics graduates earn?

Linguistics graduates of James Madison University earn a median $62,366 four years after graduating and $45,122 one year after. The U.S. median for Linguistics graduates across 89 colleges is $50,571.

How much debt do JMU Linguistics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Linguistics graduates of James Madison University is $18,398, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $20,556.

Where does JMU rank for Linguistics in Virginia?

Of 7 Virginia colleges reporting Linguistics graduate earnings, James Madison University ranks 3rd. The highest is Virginia Military Institute at $73,971.

What jobs do Linguistics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $78,300 in the Harrisonburg, VA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include interpreters and translators.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “James Madison University Linguistics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/james-madison-university/majors/linguistics (College Scorecard and BLS data).