Western Michigan University Spanish / French / Romance Languages: earnings, debt & careers

Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median $37,013 four years after graduating ($32,630 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $28,625. That is $19,109 below the U.S. median for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates ($56,122 across 225 colleges), and ranks 9th of 9 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$37,013

U.S. median for this major: $56,122.

College Scorecard field of study; 30 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$32,630

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$28,625

About 77% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,273 /yr

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

Sticker price $29,237. College Scorecard.

WMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

WMU graduates$37,013
Michigan median (9 colleges)$50,218 (−$13,205)
U.S. median (225 colleges)$56,122 (−$19,109)

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 WMU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$5,263$24,2626.7 years
$30–48k$5,734$26,4347.3 years
$48–75k$13,833$63,77017.7 years
$75–110k$18,307$84,395more than 20 years
$110k+$23,625$108,911more than 20 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (29% 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 ($37,013) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,602 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 Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$64,426$17,677$13,13893%
2Michigan State University$59,315$28,000$19,68081%
3Grand Valley State University$53,715$28,740$16,31767%
4Hope College$53,328$27,000$27,18280%
5Calvin University$50,218$19,500$22,99274%
6Central Michigan University$48,409$27,000$17,59759%
7University of Michigan-Dearborn$44,520—$9,49258%
8Oakland University$41,443$25,428$9,12058%
9Western Michigan University$37,013$28,625$15,27358%

16 more Michigan 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

Kalamazoo area$72,410
Michigan$66,030
U.S.$72,040

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

Interpreters and Translators

Kalamazoo area$61,610
Michigan$45,310
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 WMU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About WMU

Related majors at WMU

WMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages questions

How much do WMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates earn?

Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median $37,013 four years after graduating and $32,630 one year after. The U.S. median for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates across 225 colleges is $56,122.

How much debt do WMU Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Western Michigan University is $28,625, about 77% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,000.

Is WMU a good school for Spanish / French / Romance Languages in Michigan?

On pay, Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduates of Western Michigan University earn $37,013 four years out, $13,205 below the median for the same major across 9 Michigan colleges ($50,218) and $19,109 below the U.S. median ($56,122). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does WMU rank for Spanish / French / Romance Languages in Michigan?

Of 9 Michigan colleges reporting Spanish / French / Romance Languages graduate earnings, Western Michigan University ranks 9th. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $64,426.

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 $72,410 in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 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: “Western Michigan University Spanish / French / Romance Languages: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university/majors/spanish-french-romance-languages (College Scorecard and BLS data).