Classical Languages & Literature

Types of Degrees Classical Languages & Literature Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many classical languages and literature graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,120
Master’s Degree	217
Doctor’s Degree	67
Graduate Certificate	19
Basic Certificate	3
Associate Degree	2

What Classical Languages & Literature Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, classical languages majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Classical Languages Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Foreign Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Classical Languages Majors

classical languages majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Classical Languages Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a classical languages student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Classical Languages & Literature Major?

People with a classical languages degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Foreign Language and Literature Professors	11.7%	$67,640
Interpreters and Translators	17.7%	$49,930
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Languages & Literature?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 1,120 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in classical languages and literature in 2021, making it rank #160 in popularity. This major is dominated by women with about 58% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of classical languages majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	56
Black or African American	36
Hispanic or Latino	92
White	818
International Students	32
Other Races/Ethnicities	86

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Classical Languages, too. About 2.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Italy
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Greece

How Much Do Classical Languages & Literature Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in classical languages was $27,002 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $26,061 (25th percentile) and $27,020 (75th percentile).

We don’t know for sure if all of these people took jobs related to classical languages so take that into consideration.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $55,230 to $79,160 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to classical languages. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Classical Languages & Literature

Some careers associated with classical languages require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for classical languages careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	41.2%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	7.2%
Master’s Degree	23.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	4.3%
Doctoral Degree	21.5%

Online Classical Languages & Literature Programs

In 2020-2021, 275 schools offered a classical languages program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	15	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	86	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	45	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Classical Languages & Literature Worth It?

The median salary for a classical languages grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Classical Languages & Literature

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to classical languages.

Major	Number of Grads
Romance Languages	15,009
Linguistics & Comparative Literature	8,539
American Sign Language	2,724
East Asian Languages	2,293
Germanic Languages	1,425
Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages	607
Middle Eastern Semitic Languages	607
Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other)	500
Second Language Learning	108
Southeast Asian & Pacific Languages	38
South Asian Languages	24
Native American Languages	16
African Languages	4
Celtic Language & Literature	4
Iranian & Persian Languages	4
Greek Language & Literature	3
Turkic & Central Asian Languages	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.