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Major · Foreign Languages

An umbrella language credential across multiple modern tongues

Foreign Languages and Literatures, General (CIP 16.0101) is the catch-all CIP for programs covering one or more modern foreign languages without specifying which. About 1,740 students complete it across 262 institutions; bachelor’s grads earn $51,154 and associate’s grads $57,487 — an unusual salary inversion driven by a small, vocational associate’s cohort.

Schools offering
262
Annual completions
1,740
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$51k

About this major

Foreign Languages and Literatures, General (CIP 16.0101) is the umbrella credential for modern-language programs that don’t fit a specific named code. The CIP definition covers programs studying one or more modern foreign languages without specifying which, programs at the introductory level, and multi-language or language-and-area-studies blends. Coursework typically includes intermediate and advanced grammar, conversation, and composition in the chosen language(s); literature surveys; cultural and historical context; and (in many programs) a study-abroad term. About 1,740 students complete this CIP across 262 institutions — a much wider distribution than the named-language CIPs, reflecting how schools use the general code as a flexible bucket.

The major fits students drawn to language learning as a serious craft, who want flexibility across multiple languages or who attend a school where their target language only exists under the general umbrella. The work rewards strong listening, reading, writing, and pronunciation discipline; cultural curiosity; and the long patience required to reach professional fluency. Day-to-day involves heavy reading, sustained immersion practice, and a layered exposure to literature, history, and contemporary media in the target language(s).

One grounded observation about scale and trajectory: 1,740 students complete the general CIP across 262 institutions — typical of language programs to be widely distributed but small per-institution. The packet shows bachelor’s grads earning $51,154 and associate’s grads earning $57,487 — an unusual salary inversion attributable to a small, highly vocational associate’s cohort (court interpreting, medical interpreting, ASL/sign-language). Tracked careers include Secondary school teachers ($64,580, -1.6% growth), Interpreters and translators ($59,440, 1.7% growth), and Foreign language postsecondary teachers ($77,010, doctoral entry). The labor-market value of the credential intensifies with state teacher certification, ATA or court-interpreter certification, or graduate study in linguistics, area studies, or comparative literature.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Interpreters and translators $59k +1.7% Bachelor's degree
Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary $77k -0.2% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$51k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$57k

Bachelor's

$51k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you’re committed to reaching professional fluency rather than just functional conversation; you’re comfortable with sustained immersion practice and the slow grind of literature reading; you have a clear post-graduate path in mind such as K-12 teacher certification, ATA/court-interpreter certification, or graduate study in linguistics or area studies; you want flexibility across multiple languages or your school only offers your target language under the general umbrella; and you’re drawn to government, intelligence, healthcare-interpreting, or international-business work where rare languages or specialized certification command real premiums.

Reasons to pause: the named SOC for interpreters and translators is projected to grow only 1.7%, and AI-assisted translation is compressing the value of generic English-Spanish freelance work, so the labor-market signal is mixed. Spanish Language and Literature (CIP 16.0905, 4,864 completions) commands stronger named-language demand than the general code, especially for K-12 certification — verify that the school’s general program lets you build the specific-language credential employers actually buy. Without state teacher certification or specialized translation credentialing, the bachelor’s alone often functions more as a general humanities degree than a language-specific career credential. Plan the certification or graduate path before enrolling, not after.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Foreign Languages and Literatures, General

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 0 60 60
New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM 0 51 51
American River College Sacramento, CA 51 0 51
University of South Florida Tampa, FL 0 48 48
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 0 47 47
Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN 0 41 41
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras San Juan, PR 0 41 41
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 38 38
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 0 36 36
University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO 0 36 36
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Spanish Language and Literature

4,864 completions/yr

Linguistics

1,672 completions/yr

French Language and Literature

882 completions/yr

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

692 completions/yr

Japanese Language and Literature

589 completions/yr

Comparative Literature

515 completions/yr

American Sign Language (ASL)

433 completions/yr

German Language and Literature

399 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this CIP actually cover?
16.0101 is the umbrella code for general modern-foreign-language programs that don’t fall under a specific named CIP like Spanish (16.0905), French (16.0901), Japanese (16.0302), or German (16.0501). Schools use it for double-language majors, language-and-area studies blends, or general modern-language tracks. The CIP also captures elementary language-studies programs and serves as the introductory bucket for many teacher-preparation pipelines.
What jobs do graduates land?
The packet names three tracked careers — Secondary school teachers ($64,580, -1.6% growth, bachelor’s entry), Interpreters and translators ($59,440, 1.7% growth, bachelor’s entry), and Foreign language postsecondary teachers ($77,010, doctoral entry). Realistic entry destinations include K-12 language teaching (with state certification), translation and localization for software, healthcare, and legal sectors, government foreign-service or intelligence roles, and corporate roles in international sales and operations.
Can I make a living from translation alone?
Yes, but the path is competitive and increasingly compressed by AI-assisted translation tools. The Interpreters and translators SOC pays $59,440 with 1.7% projected growth. The strongest market positions are specialized — legal translation, medical interpreting (often state-certified), conference interpreting, and rare language pairs. Generic English-Spanish freelance translation is the most exposed to machine translation; specialized credentials and rare pairs hold value better.
Why is associate’s pay higher than bachelor’s in the data?
The packet shows associate’s grads at $57,487 versus bachelor’s grads at $51,154 — a salary inversion. The associate’s cohort is small and vocational, likely concentrated in court interpreting, ASL/sign-language interpreting (which has its own associate’s pipeline), and direct-entry medical interpreting roles where the credential is the gate. The bachelor’s cohort is larger and more general — many graduates take time to enter language-specific work, and many use the major as preparation for graduate school or teaching certification.
How does this compare to a specific language major like Spanish?
Spanish Language and Literature (CIP 16.0905, 4,864 completions) is the largest and most economically valuable named-language track in the U.S. — Spanish-speaking healthcare, legal, education, and bilingual-business demand drives steady hiring. The general 16.0101 umbrella is more flexible academically (especially for double-language majors or comparative work) but the labor market often values the specific named language credential more, particularly for K-12 certification and translation work.
What’s the most common next step?
Three common paths: state K-12 teaching certification (often a fifth-year master’s or post-bac program), graduate study in linguistics, area studies, or comparative literature for academic work, or direct entry into translation/localization with portfolio-based credentialing (ATA certification, court interpreter certification). Government and military foreign-language paths are competitive but well-paying — Department of State, Defense Language Institute, and intelligence-community language analyst roles all draw heavily from this pool.