by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 29 U.S. colleges awarded 337 degrees and certificates in East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 53% of graduates. College Factual ranks 11 schools in its 2027 Best East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $27,756 one year after completing, rising to $51,776 after four years.
Studying East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General involves the study of A General Program That Focuses On One Or More Of The Languages Of East Asia, Including, But Not Limited To, The Sino-Tibetan, Japanese, And Korean Languages. Includes Instruction In Philology; Linguistics; Dialects And Pidgins; Literature; And Applications To Business, Science/technology, And Other Settings.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general is a popular field of study, with 337 degrees awarded annually. 29 colleges award east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general degrees, an average of 12 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 46.
By level, the 337 awards include 22 certificates, 180 bachelor’s degrees, 99 master’s degrees and 36 doctorates.
Women earned 64% of east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general degrees and certificates in the latest year (214 of 337). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (114) and Asian (69), and international students earned 92.
College Factual ranks 11 schools in its 2027 Best East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General Schools ranking, including 6 for bachelor’s degrees and 3 for master’s degrees. It also ranks east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general schools within 6 states. In all, 29 colleges offer east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general credential is the bachelor’s degree: 180 of the 337 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general call most for Speaking, Active Listening and Reading Comprehension, and for knowledge of English Language, Education and Training and Foreign Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Speech Clarity, Oral Expression and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long an east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 22 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 180 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 99 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 36 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, at 45.2%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 45.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 28.2% |
| Master’s degree | 15.1% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 3.8% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 2.6% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET Online.
3 occupations are related to East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General, with an average median salary of $56,790; the strongest outlook belongs to Interpreters and Translators, at 12.2% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Hebrew Teacher, Spanish Teacher, ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor) and Language Arts Teacher.
The occupation related to east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general with the most projected jobs is Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, at 629,317.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 629,317 | 7.3% |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 571,954 | 1.8% |
| Interpreters and Translators | 424,722 | 12.2% |
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General graduates earn a median $27,756 one year after completing their program, $51,776 after four years and $53,377 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $27,756 |
| 4 years | $51,776 |
| 5 years | $53,377 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to east asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general is Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, with a median salary of $77,927.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $77,927 |
| Interpreters and Translators | $52,627 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $39,815 |
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General has 4 similar majors in the Foreign Languages & Linguistics field, which together award 1,790 degrees a year; the largest are Japanese Language and Literature (923), Chinese Language and Literature (655) and Korean Language and Literature (133). Browse all Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Japanese Language and Literature | 923 |
| Chinese Language and Literature | 655 |
| Korean Language and Literature | 133 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 79 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
