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2024 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in Illinois

13 Colleges in Illinois
1,009 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$30,801 Avg Early-Career Salary
Foreign Languages & Linguistics degree programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major ranks #24 out of the 38 majors we look at each year. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 13 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,009 degrees in foreign languages & linguistics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Foreign Languages & Linguistics School

Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in Illinois Your choice of foreign languages & linguistics school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for foreign languages & linguistics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Master's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Doctor's Degrees in Foreign Languages & Linguistics

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Foreign Languages & Linguistics in Illinois

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the foreign languages & linguistics degree levels they offer.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Foreign Languages & Linguistics

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
150 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
3.3% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 150 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Foreign Languages & Linguistics degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of around $2,745 over the average income of foreign languages & linguistics majors.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
164 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
3.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Chicago is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 164 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make around $14,137 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Chicago

3
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL

Lake Forest College is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 13th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 21 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent year we have data available. Foreign Languages & Linguistics degree recipients from Lake Forest College earn a boost of about $9,144 above the typical earnings of foreign languages & linguistics graduates.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Lake Forest College

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$38,648 Median Starting Salary

Illinois State University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in foreign languages & linguistics. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 40 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Those foreign languages & linguistics students who get their degree from Illinois State University receive $7,847 more than the average foreign languages & linguistics student.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Illinois State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
23.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 43 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program report average early career income of $29,546.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Loyola University Chicago

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$27,765 Median Starting Salary

UIC is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #192 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 56 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program make an average of $27,765 for their early career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$31,952 Median Starting Salary

Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the small city of Rock Island. This college ranks 21st out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 34 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, foreign languages & linguistics degree recipients generally make around $31,952 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Augustana College

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
34 Foreign Languages & Linguistics Degrees Awarded
$23,997 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 34 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at SIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, foreign languages & linguistics degree recipients usually make an average of $23,997 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale

9
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$28,978 Median Starting Salary
$26,962 Median Student Debt

Located in the medium-sized city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 25th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 16 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at North Central in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program earn around $28,978 for their early career.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from North Central College

10
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL

Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 16 foreign languages & linguistics students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the foreign languages & linguistics program report average early career income of $24,694.

More information about a degree in foreign languages & linguistics from DePaul University

Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Indiana 38 877
Michigan 38 1,002
Ohio 38 992
Wisconsin 37 783

View All Rankings >

Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Romance Languages 478
Linguistics & Comparative Literature 247
American Sign Language 106
Classical Languages & Literature 49
Middle Eastern Semitic Languages 38
Germanic Languages 31
East Asian Languages 27
Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages 25
South Asian Languages 7
Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other) 1

View All Foreign Languages & Linguistics Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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