Linguistic & Comparative at California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
52
Optimistic
44
Base Case
36
Pessimistic
Earnings
$22,723/yr (-18% vs median)
AI Risk
Very High (56% exposed)
Job Market
Large (83,300 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Linguistic & Comparative graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $528K | $268K | $156K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 18.6x | 9.5x | 5.5x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 7.0x | 3.5x | 2.1x |
| Viable Career Paths | 5 of 5 | 5 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 52 | 44 | 36 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$28,292
Out-of-state: $75,812
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,979
6.9 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$43,659
92% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Linguistic & Comparative graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 83,300 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $100,340 | 3,200 | -1.7% | 52% |
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $78,270 | 5,100 | 0.0% | 53% |
| Foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $77,010 | 1,900 | -0.2% | 53% |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $64,580 | 66,200 | -1.6% | 33% |
| Interpreters and translators | $59,440 | 6,900 | +1.7% | 88% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Linguistic & Comparative at California State University-Fullerton?
This program scores 44/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 52 (optimistic) to 36 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Linguistic & Comparative career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Linguistic & Comparative graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $156,393 (pessimistic) to $527,529 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Linguistic & Comparative graduates?
The career paths mapped to Linguistic & Comparative have roughly 83,300 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Linguistic & Comparative at California State University-Fullerton worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 9.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 5.5x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.