2023 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools
Finding the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics School for You
In 2020-2021, 4,163 people earned a degree or certificate in foreign languages and linguistics, making the major the #26 most popular in the United States.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. This report analyzed 153 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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2023 Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for foreign languages and linguistics majors pursuing a .
Top 15% Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey the best school in the United States for foreign languages and linguistics students. Middlebury Institute is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize suburb of Monterey.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Notre Dame Report
Out of the 153 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Columbia, Mizzou is a public college with a very large student population.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Missouri - Columbia Report
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Duke University is a great place for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Duke University Report
The excellent programs at Columbia University in the City of New York helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best foreign languages and linguistics schools in the United States. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Columbia University in the City of New York Report
Georgetown University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Georgetown is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Georgetown University
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #7 on the list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
Brandeis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the small city of Waltham, Brandeis is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
With a ranking of #9, Southern Oregon University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Ashland.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Southern Oregon University Report
With a ranking of #10, Wake Forest University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the midsize city of Winston-Salem, Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Wake Forest University
With a ranking of #11, Vanderbilt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the large city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Vanderbilt University
With a ranking of #12, George Washington University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington.
With a ranking of #13, Brown University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Brown is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Providence.
Virginia Tech did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #14 on the list. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #15, Gallaudet University did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Gallaudet is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Washington.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Gallaudet University Report
University of California - Berkeley came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.
George Mason University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. It came in at #17 on the list. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fairfax.
Minnesota State University - Mankato came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public college with a large student population.
With a ranking of #19, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on this year’s best schools for foreign languages and linguistics students. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.
Full Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #20 on this year’s Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools list. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
University of Southern California came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools ranking. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Los Angeles.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at University of Southern California
Tufts University landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best foreign languages and linguistics programs. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford.
Read full report on Foreign Languages & Linguistics at Tufts University
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Villanova University | Villanova, PA |
| 24 | The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX |
| 25 | William & Mary | Williamsburg, VA |
| 26 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 27 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 28 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 29 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 30 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
Foreign Languages & Linguistics by Region
View the Best Foreign Languages & Linguistics Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Foreign Languages & Linguistics Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Foreign Languages & Linguistics
Foreign Languages & Linguistics Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Linguistics & Comparative Literature | 1,748 |
| Romance Languages | 1,304 |
| Classical Languages & Literature | 303 |
| East Asian Languages | 209 |
| Middle Eastern Semitic Languages | 160 |
| Germanic Languages | 149 |
| American Sign Language | 115 |
| Slavic, Baltic & Albanian Languages | 74 |
| Foreign Language, Literature & Linguistics (Other) | 51 |
| South Asian Languages | 22 |
| Second Language Learning | 19 |
| Celtic Language & Literature | 3 |
| African Languages | 3 |
| Greek Language & Literature | 1 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Visual & Performing Arts | 18,379 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 17,287 |
| English Language & Literature | 9,566 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 3,136 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 2,680 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to John Stephen Dwyer.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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