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Romance Languages at University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
37 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
37
Optimistic
37
Base Case
28
Pessimistic
Earnings $34,003/yr (-2% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (58% exposed)
Job Market Large (75,000 openings/yr)
ROI 14.7x earnings multiple (6.4x out-of-state)
Ranked #87 of 198 Romance Languages & Literatures programs Top 50%

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 $448K $454K $432K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 14.5x 14.7x 14.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.3x 6.4x 6.1x
Probability of Field Employment 43% 38% 27%
DegreeOutlook Score 37 37 28

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$30,832
Out-of-state: $71,152 (6.4x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$58,492
-90% less than sticker · See by income
Reported Earnings (4 Year)
$51,915
53% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $34,003/yr, roughly in line with the $34,637 national median for Romance Languages. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.

The 14.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 58% task exposure — and the 4% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Ranked #87 out of 198 programs, University of Houston-Downtown's Romance Languages offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

About University of Houston-Downtown

University of Houston-Downtown accepts 91% of applicants — an open-access institution by design, with a mid-sized student body of 12,812 in Houston, TX. With 52% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Houston-Downtown →

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 University of Houston-Downtown

Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($68,144) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($56,475) Accounting and Related Services ($54,128) Business Administration, Management and Operations ($53,764) Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians ($51,840) Management Information Systems and Services ($51,314) Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences ($50,894) Mathematics ($49,496)

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 University of Houston-Downtown's Romance Languages program score?
This program scores 37/100 — 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 →