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Foreign Languages · Romance Languages Rank #81 of 198

Romance Languagesat Amherst College

Graduates earn $49,322/yr in their first year — about 42.0% above the national Romance Languages average. Base-case 10-year earnings $520K; scenarios range from $480K to $524K depending on AI disruption.

Amherst, MA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
37 AT RISK
38
Optimistic
28
Pessimistic
Earnings
$49,322
1-year post-graduation
ROI
0.8x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$520K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
61% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Amherst College

The strong outcomes for this program, despite the perceived vocational challenges of humanities, stem directly from Amherst's elite academic environment and powerful alumni network. Your degree signifies exceptional critical thinking, rigorous communication abilities, and deep cultural understanding – skills highly valued across diverse sectors, from international NGOs to publishing, education, and even global business. While routine translation or basic language instruction faces high AI risk, your education transcends mere linguistics; it cultivates nuanced interpretation, cultural dexterity, and complex human communication, abilities AI struggles to replicate. You're not just learning a language; you're learning *how* to think and connect across cultures. To maximize your unique value, actively seek internships that apply your linguistic and cultural expertise in practical settings, perhaps combining it with a complementary minor to broaden your career horizon.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$480K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score28/100
Earnings Multiple1.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$520K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score37/100
Earnings Multiple1.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$524K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score38/100
Earnings Multiple1.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Amherst College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Romance Languages graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary
-0.2% 10-yr growth · 1,900 openings/yr
$77,010/yr
High
2
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
-1.6% 10-yr growth · 66,200 openings/yr
$64,580/yr
Moderate
3
Interpreters and translators
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 6,900 openings/yr
$59,440/yr
Very High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Romance Languages

How Amherst College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Bentley University
MA · Private nonprofit
42
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Top score
University of Rhode Island
RI · Public
53
DW Score
$59K
1-yr earn
9.0x
ROI
Southern Methodist University
TX · Private nonprofit
42
DW Score
$58K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Columbia University in the City of New York
NY · Private nonprofit
43
DW Score
$54K
1-yr earn
1.9x
ROI
Colgate University
NY · Private nonprofit
43
DW Score
$54K
1-yr earn
2.0x
ROI
Also at Amherst College

Other top programs at Amherst College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Amherst College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Romance Languages offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Romance Languages trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Romance Languages at Amherst College

What does a 37/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Romance Languages at Amherst College?

At 37/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Romance Languages programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

Should I worry about AI if I study Romance Languages at Amherst College?

The 58% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.

What do students actually pay for Romance Languages at Amherst College?

The 73% gap between sticker price and net cost means most students pay far less than $269,120. At a net cost of $72,984, the earnings multiple improves substantially.