by our College Data Analytics Team
[Linguistics Comparative Literature](/majors/foreign-languages-linguistics/linguistics-comparative-literature/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a linguistics comparative literature degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying linguistics comparative literature schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose linguistics comparative literature graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is University Of California Los Angeles, our #1 for linguistics comparative literature graduate salaries in California. University Of California Los Angeles is a public school located in the city of Los Angeles. Linguistics Comparative Literature graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of about $72,162 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Ashford University earned it the #2 place for linguistics comparative literature. Ashford University is a private for-profit school located in the city of San Diego. Students who complete the linguistics comparative literature program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,222.
Students chasing top earnings in linguistics comparative literature will find them at University Of California Berkeley, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley typically earn about $59,312 annually.
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Santa Barbara one of the highest-paying schools for linguistics comparative literature. University Of California Santa Barbara is a public school located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. Early-career linguistics comparative literature graduates from University Of California Santa Barbara make a median of around $52,393 per year.
A rank of #5 makes California State University Northridge one of the highest-paying schools for linguistics comparative literature. California State University Northridge is a public school located in the city of Northridge. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from California State University Northridge typically earn about $51,950 annually.
California State University Fullerton ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying linguistics comparative literature schools. Set in the suburb of Fullerton, California State University Fullerton is a public institution. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from California State University Fullerton typically earn about $43,659 annually.
University Of California Davis ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying linguistics comparative literature schools. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a public institution. Students who complete the linguistics comparative literature program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,582.
University Of California Santa Cruz came in at #8 for linguistics comparative literature graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a public institution. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz typically earn about $41,829 annually.
University Of California Riverside earned the #9 position for linguistics comparative literature graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a public institution. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from University Of California Riverside typically earn about $40,306 annually.
California State University Long Beach earned the #10 position for linguistics comparative literature graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a public institution. Early-career linguistics comparative literature graduates from California State University Long Beach make a median of around $40,052 per year.
San Diego State University earned the #11 position for linguistics comparative literature graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a public institution. After graduating, linguistics comparative literature degree recipients from San Diego State University typically earn about $22,001 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their linguistics comparative literature graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 11 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.