[Other Linguistic, Comparative, & Related Language Studies & Services](/majors/foreign-languages-linguistics/linguistics-comparative-literature/linguistic-comparative-and-related-language-studies-and-services-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services, no school beat University Of California Santa Barbara this year. University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,444, with out-of-state students paying around $47,332. Typical student debt for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates is $14,100. Soon after graduation, other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services degree recipients from University Of California Santa Barbara generally make around $27,629. Set against $14,100 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 33%.
Students looking for strong value in other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services will find it at University Of California Los Angeles, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,233 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $46,121. Typical student debt for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates is $15,000. Early-career other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates make about $30,524. That is a strong return on a $15,000 median debt. University Of California Los Angeles admits about 9% of applicants.
San Diego State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,728, with out-of-state students paying around $21,328. Typical student debt for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates is $11,000. Other Linguistic, Comparative, & Related Language Studies & Services graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of $22,001 early in their careers. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 36%.
University Of California Santa Cruz is a great value for students pursuing a degree in other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,035, while out-of-state students pay about $46,923. Other Linguistic, Comparative, & Related Language Studies & Services graduates carry a median of $17,491 in student loans. Early-career other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates make about $21,793. That is a strong return on a $17,491 median debt. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Southern California one of the best values for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $71,647. Typical student debt for other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services graduates is $15,625. Soon after graduation, other linguistic, comparative, & related language studies & services degree recipients from University Of Southern California generally make around $75,677. Set against $15,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 10%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
