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Chinese Language and Literature: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Students in this program explore the rich linguistic and literary traditions of China, gaining advanced proficiency in the Chinese language while examining its historical, cultural, and regional variations. The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical and practical mastery, preparing learners to engage with Chinese-speaking communities in academic, professional, and global contexts.

  • Philology: The study of language in written historical sources, focusing on the evolution of Chinese characters, texts, and linguistic forms across centuries.
  • Linguistics: An in-depth analysis of phonetics, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistic structures within Mandarin and other Chinese dialects.
  • Dialects and Pidgins: Exploration of regional linguistic variations such as Cantonese, Shanghainese, and Hakka, as well as contact languages like Chinese Pidgin English.
  • Applied Language Studies: Practical training in using Chinese in specialized domains including international business, scientific research, technology development, and cross-cultural communication.

Chinese Language and Literature Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

626
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
103
Universities & Colleges
3
Career Pathways
Career & Salary Outlook Schools Offering This Program Related Programs

Chinese Language and Literature Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Chinese Language and Literature degrees, including Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education and Interpreters and Translators. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,147,070 professionals.

National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1124 $77,010 $47,090 - $134,960 21,170 N/A
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2031 $64,580 $47,330 - $104,670 1,072,540 N/A
Interpreters and Translators 27-3091 $59,440 $35,630 - $99,830 53,360 $28.58

Salary Comparison

Chinese Language and Literature Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $48,357 in Mississippi to $92,850 in California—a 92% difference. The highest-paying states include California, New York, and Rhode Island. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,147,070 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Chinese Language and Literature by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Chinese Language and Literature programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Chinese Language and Literature is found at Weber State University (WSU) (41 graduates), City College of San Francisco (CCSF) (36 graduates), University of Wisconsin-Madison (34 graduates), CUNY Hunter College (30 graduates), and University of Rhode Island (URI) (30 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 623 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Admissions Location Control Website
Weber State University (WSU)
Associate's
Other Award
 41 N/A Ogden, Utah Public weber.edu
City College of San Francisco (CCSF)
Associate's
Other Award
 36 N/A San Francisco, California Public ccsf.edu
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
Other Award
 34 SAT: 1360-1510
ACT: 28-32 		Madison, Wisconsin Public wisc.edu
CUNY Hunter College
Bachelor's
 30 SAT: 1210-1470 New York, New York Public hunter.cuny.edu
University of Rhode Island (URI)
Bachelor's
 30 SAT: 1030-1270
ACT: 26-31 		Kingston, Rhode Island Public web.uri.edu
San Francisco State University (SFSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
 19 N/A San Francisco, California Public sfsu.edu
CUNY Queens College
Bachelor's
 17 SAT: 1100-1320 Queens, New York Public qc.cuny.edu
University of Hawaii (UHM)
Bachelor's
Doctorate (R)
 13 SAT: 1020-1240
ACT: 20-27 		Honolulu, Hawaii Public manoa.hawaii.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Bachelor's
 13 SAT: 1290-1450
ACT: 28-32 		Provo, Utah Private byu.edu
Pasadena City College (PCC)
Associate's
 12 N/A Pasadena, California Public pasadena.edu
United States Naval Academy (USNA)
Bachelor's
 12 SAT: 1200-1420
ACT: 24-31 		Annapolis, Maryland Public usna.edu
University of Connecticut (UConn)
Bachelor's
 11 SAT: 1210-1420
ACT: 29-33 		Storrs, Connecticut Public uconn.edu
Williams College
Bachelor's
 11 SAT: 1470-1560
ACT: 33-35 		Williamstown, Massachusetts Private williams.edu
Laney College
Associate's
Other Award
 10 N/A Oakland, California Public laney.edu
Western Kentucky University (WKU)
Bachelor's
 10 SAT: 820-1010
ACT: 16-20 		Bowling Green, Kentucky Public wku.edu
St Olaf College
Bachelor's
 10 SAT: 1260-1470
ACT: 28-32 		Northfield, Minnesota Private wp.stolaf.edu
Middlebury College
Bachelor's
Master's
 10 SAT: 1430-1550
ACT: 33-34 		Middlebury, Vermont Private middlebury.edu
University of Washington (UW)
Bachelor's
 10 N/A Seattle, Washington Public washington.edu
University of Notre Dame (ND)
Bachelor's
 9 SAT: 1440-1540
ACT: 33-35 		Notre Dame, Indiana Private nd.edu
United States Military Academy (USMA)
Bachelor's
 9 SAT: 1200-1430
ACT: 28-33 		West Point, New York Public westpoint.edu
Ohio State University
Bachelor's
 9 SAT: 1330-1480
ACT: 29-32 		Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
University of California (UCB)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 8 N/A Berkeley, California Public berkeley.edu
University of Colorado Boulder (CU)
Bachelor's
 8 SAT: 1230-1420
ACT: 28-33 		Boulder, Colorado Public colorado.edu
George Washington University (GW)
Bachelor's
Master's
 8 SAT: 1350-1500
ACT: 31-34 		Washington, District of Columbia Private gwu.edu
Michigan State University (MSU)
Bachelor's
 8 SAT: 1150-1350
ACT: 26-31 		East Lansing, Michigan Public msu.edu
Vassar College
Bachelor's
 8 SAT: 1435-1550
ACT: 33-35 		Poughkeepsie, New York Private vassar.edu
University of California (UCLA)
Bachelor's
 7 N/A Los Angeles, California Public ucla.edu
Washington University in St Louis (WashU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 7 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 33-35 		Saint Louis, Missouri Private wustl.edu
Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor's
 7 SAT: 1220-1400
ACT: 27-32 		University Park, Pennsylvania Public psu.edu
Utah State University (USU)
Bachelor's
 7 SAT: 1060-1300
ACT: 20-28 		Logan, Utah Public usu.edu
Stanford University
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 7 SAT: 1510-1580
ACT: 34-35 		Stanford, California Private stanford.edu
San Diego Mesa College
Associate's
 6 N/A San Diego, California Public sdmesa.edu
Boise State University (BBU)
Residency
Other Award
 6 N/A Boise, Idaho Public boisestate.edu
University of Massachusetts
Bachelor's
Master's
 6 SAT: 1300-1480
ACT: 29-33 		Amherst, Massachusetts Public umass.edu
Macalester College
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1350-1510
ACT: 30-33 		Saint Paul, Minnesota Private macalester.edu
University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1020-1210
ACT: 21-29 		University, Mississippi Public olemiss.edu
University of Oregon (UO)
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1130-1360
ACT: 22-30 		Eugene, Oregon Public uoregon.edu
Drexel University
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
 6 SAT: 1230-1430
ACT: 27-33 		Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Private drexel.edu
University of Puget Sound (UPS)
Bachelor's
 6 SAT: 1185-1390
ACT: 27-31 		Tacoma, Washington Private pugetsound.edu
University of California (UCD)
Bachelor's
 5 N/A Davis, California Public ucdavis.edu
De Anza College
Other Award
 5 N/A Cupertino, California Public deanza.edu
University of Maryland (UMCP)
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1370-1520
ACT: 32-35 		College Park, Maryland Public umd.edu
College of the Holy Cross
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1250-1420
ACT: 28-32 		Worcester, Massachusetts Private holycross.edu
Colgate University
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1430-1530
ACT: 33-34 		Hamilton, New York Private colgate.edu
Hamilton College
Bachelor's
 5 SAT: 1410-1550
ACT: 32-35 		Clinton, New York Private hamilton.edu
University of Wisconsin (UWEC)
Other Award
 5 ACT: 21-27 Eau Claire, Wisconsin Public uwec.edu
University of California (UCSB)
Bachelor's
 4 N/A Santa Barbara, California Public ucsb.edu
Chaffey College
Associate's
 4 N/A Rancho Cucamonga, California Public chaffey.edu
Diablo Valley College (DVC)
Associate's
Other Award
 4 N/A Pleasant Hill, California Public dvc.edu
Wheaton College
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1260-1440
ACT: 27-32 		Wheaton, Illinois Private wheaton.edu
Indiana University (IUB)
Master's
Doctorate (R)
 4 SAT: 1170-1400
ACT: 27-32 		Bloomington, Indiana Public indiana.edu
Bates College
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1400-1510
ACT: 31-33 		Lewiston, Maine Private bates.edu
Boston University (BU)
Bachelor's
 4 SAT: 1400-1520
ACT: 32-34 		Boston, Massachusetts Private bu.edu
Cerritos College
Associate's
 3 N/A Norwalk, California Public cerritos.edu
Georgia State University
Other Award
 3 SAT: 1040-1280
ACT: 19-26 		Atlanta, Georgia Public gsu.edu
Carleton College
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1430-1550
ACT: 32-34 		Northfield, Minnesota Private carleton.edu
Union College
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1310-1480
ACT: 30-33 		Schenectady, New York Private union.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1270-1450
ACT: 29-33 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Public pitt.edu
University of Utah (U of U)
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1180-1398
ACT: 22-29 		Salt Lake City, Utah Public utah.edu
Whitman College
Bachelor's
 3 SAT: 1270-1480
ACT: 27-33 		Walla Walla, Washington Private whitman.edu
University of California (UCR)
Bachelor's
 2 N/A Riverside, California Public ucr.edu
Claremont McKenna College (CMC)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1450-1560
ACT: 33-35 		Claremont, California Private cmc.edu
Occidental College (Oxy)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1360-1500
ACT: 31-34 		Los Angeles, California Private oxy.edu
Pomona College
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1480-1560
ACT: 33-35 		Claremont, California Private pomona.edu
University of Delaware (UD)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1200-1360
ACT: 27-31 		Newark, Delaware Public udel.edu
Georgetown University (GU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1390-1550
ACT: 32-34 		Washington, District of Columbia Private georgetown.edu
Grinnell College
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1418-1550
ACT: 31-34 		Grinnell, Iowa Private grinnell.edu
University of Maryland (UMBC)
Other Award
 2 SAT: 1220-1410
ACT: 23-30 		Baltimore, Maryland Public umbc.edu
Oakland University (OU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 995-1185 Rochester Hills, Michigan Public oakland.edu
New York University (NYU)
Master's
 2 SAT: 1480-1570
ACT: 33-35 		New York, New York Private nyu.edu
Wake Forest University (WFC)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1390-1510
ACT: 32-34 		Winston-Salem, North Carolina Private wfu.edu
Kenyon College
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1360-1500
ACT: 31-34 		Gambier, Ohio Private kenyon.edu
University of Oklahoma (OU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1140-1330
ACT: 23-29 		Norman, Oklahoma Public ou.edu
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1500-1570
ACT: 34-35 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Private cmu.edu
Wofford College
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1200-1350
ACT: 27-31 		Spartanburg, South Carolina Private wofford.edu
Austin Community College District (ACC)
Associate's
 2 N/A Austin, Texas Public austincc.edu
University of Vermont (UVM)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1250-1420
ACT: 29-32 		Burlington, Vermont Public uvm.edu
Western Washington University (WWU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1110-1350
ACT: 23-29 		Bellingham, Washington Public wwu.edu
West Virginia University (WVU)
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1010-1240
ACT: 20-26 		Morgantown, West Virginia Public wvu.edu
Carthage College
Bachelor's
 2 SAT: 1000-1205
ACT: 19-26 		Kenosha, Wisconsin Private carthage.edu
Irvine Valley College (IVC)
Associate's
 1 N/A Irvine, California Public ivc.edu
Saddleback College
Associate's
 1 N/A Mission Viejo, California Public saddleback.edu
San Jose State University (SJSU)
Bachelor's
 1 N/A San Jose, California Public sjsu.edu
American University (AU)
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1300-1450
ACT: 29-33 		Washington, District of Columbia Private american.edu
Emory University
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1460-1550
ACT: 32-34 		Atlanta, Georgia Private emory.edu
North Central College
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1065-1280
ACT: 23-27 		Naperville, Illinois Private northcentralcollege.edu
Centre College
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1230-1423
ACT: 26-32 		Danville, Kentucky Private centre.edu
Bard College at Simon's Rock
Bachelor's
 1 N/A Great Barrington, Massachusetts Private simons-rock.edu
Tufts University
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1460-1550
ACT: 33-35 		Medford, Massachusetts Private tufts.edu
Rutgers University
Master's
 1 SAT: 1270-1480
ACT: 28-33 		New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
Davidson College
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1360-1510
ACT: 31-34 		Davidson, North Carolina Private davidson.edu
University of North Dakota (UND)
Other Award
 1 N/A Grand Forks, North Dakota Public und.edu
University of Cincinnati (UC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
 1 SAT: 1150-1360
ACT: 24-29 		Cincinnati, Ohio Public uc.edu
University of Tulsa (TU)
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1150-1490
ACT: 24-33 		Tulsa, Oklahoma Private utulsa.edu
Dickinson College
Bachelor's
 1 N/A Carlisle, Pennsylvania Private dickinson.edu
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Other Award
 1 SAT: 940-1170
ACT: 17-24 		Indiana, Pennsylvania Public iup.edu
Lehigh University
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1350-1490
ACT: 31-33 		Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Private lehigh.edu
Messiah University
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1100-1340
ACT: 22-30 		Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Private messiah.edu
Temple University
Other Award
 1 N/A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Public temple.edu
Trinity University
Bachelor's
 1 SAT: 1320-1465
ACT: 30-33 		San Antonio, Texas Private new.trinity.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Chinese Language and Literature programs

How much can I earn with a Chinese Language and Literature degree?

Salaries for Chinese Language and Literature graduates vary by role and location. Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $77,010 annually, while Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education earn around $64,580. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $92,850 compared to $48,357 in Mississippi. Approximately 1,147,070 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Chinese Language and Literature programs?

Currently 103 accredited institutions offer Chinese Language and Literature degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Weber State University (WSU) (41 graduates), City College of San Francisco (CCSF) (36 graduates), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (34 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Chinese Language and Literature growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 771 in 2010 to a peak of 734 in 2020, before declining slightly to 626 in 2023-24. This represents a 19% decrease overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Chinese Language and Literature degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education, and Interpreters and Translators. Related occupations employ approximately 1,147,070 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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