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CIP 16.1200 Foreign Languages and Linguistics

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

Total graduates

1,317

2025 · 169 schools

International share

5.2%

69 international students

Bachelor's degrees

1,042

2.3% international

Master's degrees

193

16.1% international

Overview

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses the study of ancient Greek and Latin languages, as well as the literature, culture, and history of ancient civilizations, primarily those of Greece and Rome. Students in this major engage deeply with classical texts, exploring the nuances of language, literature, philosophy, and history.

The curriculum typically includes courses in grammar and syntax of classical languages, reading and interpretation of classical works, and studies in ancient history and archaeology. Students might delve into epic poetry, drama, philosophy, and rhetoric, examining how these texts reflect the values and beliefs of their times.

In addition to language proficiency, the program fosters critical thinking, analytical skills, and an understanding of linguistic development. Graduates often pursue careers in education, research, translation, archaeology, museum curation, and various fields of humanities and social sciences.

Moreover, the study of classics has relevance beyond the ancient world, as it often informs contemporary discussions in literature, politics, and ethics. Engaging with the foundational texts of Western civilization allows students to gain insights into modern society and culture. As such, a degree in Classics and Classical Languages can provide a rich and rewarding intellectual experience, preparing students for a range of professional paths while deepening their appreciation for the roots of Western thought.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates grew 4% and the international share went from 2.8% to 5.2%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
69.6%
Asian
5.2%
Hispanic
10.3%
Black
1.4%
Other
8.4%
Intl.
5.2%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 169 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#2 Princeton University New Jersey 21 5
#3 Harvard University Massachusetts 12 1
#4 Yale University Connecticut 19 6
#5 Stanford University California 16 0
#7 University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 18 2
#8 Duke University North Carolina 3 0
#9 University of Chicago Illinois 13 5
#9 Northwestern University Illinois 2 0
#9 Johns Hopkins University Maryland 8 3
#12 Dartmouth College New Hampshire 3 0
#12 Columbia University in the City of New York New York 27 8
#14 Cornell University New York 16 1
#16 Washington University in St Louis Missouri 5 1
#16 Brown University Rhode Island 9 1
#16 Rice University Texas 6 1
#20 University of California-Berkeley California 5 0
#20 University of California-Los Angeles California 3 0
#20 University of Notre Dame Indiana 12 1
#23 Georgetown University D.C. 8 0
#23 Emory University Georgia 1 0
#25 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Michigan 3 1
#26 University of Virginia-Main Campus Virginia 12 3
#27 University of Southern California California 7 2
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 15 0
#29 University of California-San Diego California 3 0
#31 Boston College Massachusetts 9 0
#31 Tufts University Massachusetts 6 0
#31 New York University New York 13 1
#34 University of California-Irvine California 4 0
#34 University of Florida Florida 11 1
#34 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois 6 0
#34 Boston University Massachusetts 2 0
#34 Wake Forest University North Carolina 3 0
#34 The University of Texas at Austin Texas 16 0
#34 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 9 2
#44 University of California-Santa Barbara California 7 1
#44 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Jersey 5 0
#44 Case Western Reserve University Ohio 6 0
#44 Ohio State University-Main Campus Ohio 13 0
#49 University of Maryland-College Park Maryland 7 1
#49 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Washington 11 0
#52 University of Georgia Georgia 13 1
#52 College of William and Mary Virginia 7 0
#55 Santa Clara University California 3 0
#55 University of Miami Florida 1 0
#55 The Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania 16 0
#59 Florida State University Florida 37 1
#59 Tulane University of Louisiana Louisiana 5 0
#59 Brandeis University Massachusetts 2 0
#59 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Massachusetts 11 0
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 8 0
#59 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pennsylvania 16 0
#59 Texas A & M University-College Station Texas 6 0
#73 University of Connecticut Connecticut 1 0
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 4 0
#73 Binghamton University New York 2 0
#80 University of California-Riverside California 1 0
#85 Fordham University New York 2 0
#85 University at Buffalo New York 12 0
#90 Baylor University Texas 1 0
#90 Gonzaga University Washington 2 0
#90 Marquette University Wisconsin 2 0
#95 University of Missouri-Columbia Missouri 15 0
#100 University of Iowa Iowa 2 0
#109 University of California-Santa Cruz California 3 0
#109 University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 24 1
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 7 0
#109 Temple University Pennsylvania 3 0
#109 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tennessee 7 0
#116 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Oklahoma 4 0
#116 University of Oregon Oregon 5 0
#116 Brigham Young University-Provo Utah 5 0
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 18 0
#121 Loyola University Chicago Illinois 3 0
#133 Miami University-Oxford Ohio 3 0
#133 University of Vermont Vermont 10 0
#137 California State University--Long Beach California 1 0
#137 San Diego State University California 1 0
#137 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Pennsylvania 4 0
#148 Catholic University of America D.C. 4 1
#148 Mercer University Georgia 1 0
#148 University of Kansas Kansas 17 0
#148 University of Kentucky Kentucky 4 1
#156 Montclair State University New Jersey 3 0
#179 University of Mississippi Mississippi 11 0
#179 CUNY Hunter College New York 8 0
#179 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Ohio 10 2
#179 University of Utah Utah 1 0
#186 University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii 4 0
#186 Wayne State University Michigan 2 0
#191 Hofstra University New York 2 0
#202 University of Massachusetts-Boston Massachusetts 2 0
#208 University of North Carolina at Greensboro North Carolina 7 0
#227 San Francisco State University California 6 0
#227 Ball State University Indiana 2 0
#227 University of North Dakota North Dakota 1 0
#276 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Ohio 3 0
#288 University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee Wisconsin 3 0
#332 Jacksonville University Florida 1 0
#365 The University of Montana Montana 1 0
#382 Wright State University-Main Campus Ohio 1 0
LAC #1 Williams College Massachusetts 3 0
LAC #2 Amherst College Massachusetts 5 1
LAC #3 Bowdoin College Maine 5 0
LAC #12 Washington and Lee University Virginia 3 0
LAC #14 Hamilton College New York 5 0
LAC #16 Grinnell College Iowa 2 0
LAC #16 Carleton College Minnesota 2 0
LAC #16 Davidson College North Carolina 4 0
LAC #19 Barnard College New York 1 0
LAC #19 Middlebury College Vermont 5 0
LAC #22 Colby College Maine 2 0
LAC #22 College of the Holy Cross Massachusetts 12 2
LAC #22 Smith College Massachusetts 3 1
LAC #22 Colgate University New York 3 0
LAC #26 Haverford College Pennsylvania 6 0
LAC #28 Macalester College Minnesota 8 0
LAC #29 Bucknell University Pennsylvania 6 0
LAC #31 Trinity College Connecticut 1 0
LAC #31 Denison University Ohio 2 0
LAC #31 Bryn Mawr College Pennsylvania 8 1
LAC #34 Mount Holyoke College Massachusetts 3 1
LAC #34 Franklin and Marshall College Pennsylvania 3 0
LAC #38 Trinity University Texas 2 0
LAC #41 Skidmore College New York 1 0
LAC #41 Kenyon College Ohio 5 1
LAC #44 Wabash College Indiana 1 0
LAC #44 Union College New York 6 0
LAC #47 Connecticut College Connecticut 2 0
LAC #47 Hillsdale College Michigan 6 0
LAC #49 DePauw University Indiana 3 0
LAC #49 Rhodes College Tennessee 4 0
LAC #49 The University of the South Tennessee 5 0
LAC #54 Dickinson College Pennsylvania 6 0
LAC #54 Gettysburg College Pennsylvania 1 0
LAC #59 Oberlin College Ohio 3 0
LAC #60 Hobart and William Smith Colleges New York 4 0
LAC #60 Reed College Oregon 7 1
LAC #62 Agnes Scott College Georgia 1 0
LAC #62 Gustavus Adolphus College Minnesota 5 0
LAC #68 Lawrence University Wisconsin 2 0
LAC #72 Saint Anselm College New Hampshire 1 0
LAC #78 Hope College Michigan 3 0
LAC #78 Whitman College Washington 1 0
LAC #83 Earlham College Indiana 2 0
LAC #85 Knox College Illinois 1 0
LAC #85 Randolph-Macon College Virginia 2 0
LAC #91 College of Wooster Ohio 5 0
LAC #97 Lewis & Clark College Oregon 2 0
LAC #97 Austin College Texas 1 0
LAC #100 Hendrix College Arkansas 3 0
LAC #100 Beloit College Wisconsin 3 0
LAC #111 Hampden-Sydney College Virginia 1 0
LAC #128 University of Mary Washington Virginia 4 0
LAC #138 Truman State University Missouri 3 0
LAC #150 New College of Florida Florida 1 0
LAC #154 University of North Carolina Asheville North Carolina 3 0
— College of Charleston South Carolina 7 0
— University of Dallas Texas 7 0
— Ave Maria University Florida 7 0
— CUNY Brooklyn College New York 5 0
— CUNY Graduate School and University Center New York 5 1
— Belmont Abbey College North Carolina 4 0
— Franciscan University of Steubenville Ohio 4 0
— Hollins University Virginia 4 0
— Grand Valley State University Michigan 3 0
— Asbury University Kentucky 2 0
— Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Massachusetts 2 0
— Augustana University South Dakota 1 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 1,065,210 — $76,320
Interpreters and Translators 52,060 $31.90 $66,360
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 19,830 — $89,990

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2003–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.