U.S. median for this major: $56,122.
College Scorecard field of study; 19 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 21% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $85,606. College Scorecard.
SMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Spanish / French / Romance Languages nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses SMU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $23,544 | $96,530 | 1.6 years |
| $30–48k | $20,038 | $82,156 | 1.4 years |
| $48–75k | $24,152 | $99,023 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $33,477 | $137,256 | 2.3 years |
| $110k+ | $58,213 | $238,673 | 4.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (76% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates 4 years after graduating ($93,769) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $60,253 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Spanish / French / Romance Languages at Texas colleges
Every Texas college we cover that reports Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Methodist University | $93,769 | $19,730 | $40,892 | 84% |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | $58,697 | $19,241 | $19,857 | 89% |
| 3 | University of Houston | $56,442 | $18,750 | $14,276 | 65% |
| 4 | Sam Houston State University | $55,647 | — | $16,404 | 55% |
| 5 | University of North Texas | $55,259 | $20,666 | $15,649 | 61% |
| 6 | Austin College | $55,168 | — | $21,107 | 67% |
| 7 | Texas State University | $54,541 | $22,133 | $16,805 | 55% |
| 8 | Texas A&M University-College Station | $53,563 | $15,500 | $21,315 | 84% |
| 9 | The University of Texas at Arlington | $51,653 | $16,797 | $13,951 | 54% |
| 10 | Texas Tech University | $47,290 | $19,750 | $19,070 | 69% |
| 11 | The University of Texas at El Paso | $47,152 | $24,050 | $9,403 | 50% |
| 12 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $42,224 | $12,633 | $4,831 | 51% |
| 13 | Texas A & M International University | $24,533 | — | $3,637 | 46% |
37 more Texas colleges offer Spanish / French / Romance Languages but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Interpreters and Translators
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 SMU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About SMU
- Acceptance rate: 63% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 84% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $78,354
- Full cost breakdown · all 69 majors · overview
Related majors at SMU
- English—
- History—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Area Studies—
- German—
SMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages questions
How much do SMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates earn?
Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Southern Methodist University earn a median $93,769 four years after graduating and $57,858 one year after. The U.S. median for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates across 225 colleges is $56,122.
How much debt do SMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Southern Methodist University is $19,730, about 21% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,000.
Is SMU a good school for Spanish / French / Romance Languages in Texas?
On pay, Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Southern Methodist University earn $93,769 four years out, $39,228 above the median for the same major across 13 Texas colleges ($54,541) and $37,647 above the U.S. median ($56,122). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does SMU rank for Spanish / French / Romance Languages in Texas?
Of 13 Texas colleges reporting Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduate earnings, Southern Methodist University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $65,890 in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Southern Methodist University Spanish / French / Romance Languages: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-methodist-university/majors/spanish-french-romance-languages (College Scorecard and BLS data).