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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Linguistics

165 Ranked Colleges
3,247 Degrees Awarded
$32,300 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 3,247 people earned their degree in linguistics, making the major the 206th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major” ranking looked at 165 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in linguistics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in linguistics.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for linguistics students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Linguistics

1
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin

Out of the 165 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Lawrence University landed the #1 spot on the list. Lawrence U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 10 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Linguistics at Lawrence U

2
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Reed College
Portland, Oregon

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reed College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s linguistics students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Linguistics at Reed College

3
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Gordon College
Wenham, Massachusetts

Out of the 165 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Gordon College landed the #3 spot on the list. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Linguistics at Gordon College

4
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 165 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Carleton College landed the #4 spot on the list. Carleton is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northfield, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Carleton College Linguistics Report

5
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Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Out of the 165 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Macalester College landed the #5 spot on the list. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Linguistics at Macalester

6
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Earlham College
Richmond, Indiana

Earlham College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Earlham is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Linguistics at Earlham

7
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Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Bryn Mawr College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Bryn Mawr College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Linguistics at Bryn Mawr

8

Teachers College at Columbia University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Teachers College at Columbia University is a small school located in New York, New York that handed out 33 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Linguistics at Teachers College at Columbia University

9
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Haverford is a small school located in Haverford, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Linguistics at Haverford

10
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s linguistics students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Pomona College Linguistics Report

11
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Benedictine University
Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Benedictine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lisle, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Benedictine University

12
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Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

With a ranking of #12, Truman State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 18 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Truman State

13

University of Southern Maine did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #13. Portland, Maine is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s linguistics degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at University of Southern Maine

14

University of Hawaii at Hilo came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. This small school is located in Hilo, Hawaii, and it awarded 10 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Linguistics at UH Hilo

15
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Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #15. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 47 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Western Washington University

16
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Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

Bennington College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Bennington, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s linguistics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Bennington College

16
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Cedarville University
Cedarville, Ohio

Cedarville University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Cedarville University is a small school located in Cedarville, Ohio that handed out 10 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Linguistics at Cedarville University

18
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

With a ranking of #18, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 29 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Linguistics at The Graduate Center

19

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 78 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UCSB Linguistics Report

20
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #20, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Scripps is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 3 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Linguistics at Scripps College

21
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Montclair State University
Montclair, New Jersey

With a ranking of #21, Montclair State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Montclair State is located in Montclair, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s linguistics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Montclair State

22
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Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking, coming in at #22. Hampshire College is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s linguistics degrees to qualified students.

Full Hampshire Linguistics Report

23
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William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Linguistics at William & Mary

24
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major list. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Linguistics at Swarthmore College

25
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Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Linguistics Major ranking. Georgetown is a large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 56 ’s linguistics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Linguistics at Georgetown University

Notes and References

References

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