by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 11 U.S. colleges awarded 66 degrees and certificates in Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 58% of graduates. College Factual ranks 2 schools in its 2027 Best Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $48,355 one year after completing, rising to $75,147 after four years.
A degree in Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics explores Ancient Near Eastern And Biblical Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics. A Program That Focuses On One Or More Of The Extinct Semitic And/or Non-Semitic Languages Spoken In The Ancient Near East, Including Those Used To Write Historical Jewish And Christian Religious Texts. These Languages Include, But Are Not Limited To, Egyptian/coptic, Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Aramaic, Cannanite, Phonecian, Samarian, Ugaritic, Syriac, Mandean, Hattic, Elamite, Hurrian, Hittite, Urartian, Lydian, Luwian, Lycian, Palaic, Sabaean/south Arabian, And Other Associated Languages. Includes Instruction In Philology, Epigraphy, Papyrology, Numismatics, And Textual Studies.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics is a popular field of study, with 66 degrees awarded annually. 11 colleges award ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics degrees, an average of 6 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 27.
By level, the 66 awards include 28 bachelor’s degrees and 38 master’s degrees.
Women earned 23% of ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics degrees and certificates in the latest year (15 of 66). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (47) and multiracial (5).
College Factual ranks 2 schools in its 2027 Best Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics Schools ranking, including 1 for bachelor’s degrees. It also ranks ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics schools within 1 state. In all, 11 colleges offer ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics credential is the master’s degree: 38 of the 66 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics call most for Speaking, Active Listening and Reading Comprehension, and for knowledge of Foreign Language, English Language and Education and Training, 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 ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 28 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 38 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics, at 44.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 44.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 26.8% |
| Master’s degree | 21.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics, with an average median salary of $46,221; the strongest outlook belongs to Interpreters and Translators, at 12.2% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Adjunct Spanish Instructor, Teacher, French Teacher and Arabic Teacher.
The occupation related to ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics 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% |
| Interpreters and Translators | 424,722 | 12.2% |
Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics graduates earn a median $48,355 one year after completing their program, $75,147 after four years and $73,123 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $48,355 |
| 4 years | $75,147 |
| 5 years | $73,123 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to ancient near eastern & biblical languages, literatures, & linguistics, with a median salary of $52,627.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Interpreters and Translators | $52,627 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $39,815 |
Ancient Near Eastern & Biblical Languages, Literatures, & Linguistics has 4 similar majors in the Foreign Languages & Linguistics field, which together award 416 degrees a year; the largest are Arabic Language and Literature (258), Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other (93) and Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (43). Browse all Foreign Languages & Linguistics majors or the full list of college majors.
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