Italian Language and Literature: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Students in this program engage in a comprehensive exploration of the Italian language, its historical development, and its cultural significance across time and geography. The curriculum emphasizes linguistic precision, literary analysis, and practical application, preparing learners to navigate both academic and professional environments with fluency and cultural insight.
- Philology: The study of language in written historical sources, focusing on the evolution of Italian from Latin roots and its transformation through centuries of literary and social change.
- Regional Dialects: In-depth examination of Italy’s diverse linguistic landscape, including major regional variations and their sociolinguistic contexts.
- Literary Traditions: Analysis of key works from Italian literature across periods, from Dante and Petrarch to modern and contemporary authors, with attention to form, theme, and cultural impact.
- Language in Professional Contexts: Application of Italian language skills in real-world domains such as international business, scientific research, diplomacy, and technology sectors.
- Cultural Studies: Investigation of Italian art, cinema, philosophy, and societal values as integral components of language mastery and global communication.
Italian Language and Literature Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Italian Language and Literature Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Italian 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 |
Italian 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 Italian Language and Literature by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 80 institutions offering Italian 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 Italian Language and Literature is found at Pasadena City College (PCC) (47 graduates), University of Notre Dame (ND) (16 graduates), University of Wisconsin-Madison (14 graduates), Middlebury College (12 graduates), and University of Arizona (10 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 334 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 | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena City College (PCC) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
47 | Pasadena, California | Public | pasadena.edu |
| University of Notre Dame (ND) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
16 | Notre Dame, Indiana | Private | nd.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
14 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| Middlebury College |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
12 | Middlebury, Vermont | Private | middlebury.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
|
10 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
9 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
8 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
8 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| University of California (UCB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
7 | Berkeley, California | Public | berkeley.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
7 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
7 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| Vassar College |
Bachelor's
|
7 | Poughkeepsie, New York | Private | vassar.edu |
| University of New Hampshire (UNH) |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Durham, New Hampshire | Public | unh.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
6 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| Binghamton University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
6 | Vestal, New York | Public | binghamton.edu |
| Villanova University |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Villanova, Pennsylvania | Private | villanova.edu |
| University of Rhode Island (URI) |
Bachelor's
|
6 | Kingston, Rhode Island | Public | web.uri.edu |
| Smith College |
Bachelor's
|
5 | Northampton, Massachusetts | Private | smith.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
5 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
|
5 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| University of Denver (DU) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Denver, Colorado | Private | du.edu |
| Yale University |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
4 | New Haven, Connecticut | Private | yale.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| DePauw University |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Greencastle, Indiana | Private | depauw.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
4 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| Boston College (BC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
4 | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | bc.edu |
| College of the Holy Cross |
Bachelor's
|
4 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | holycross.edu |
| Mount Holyoke College (MHC) |
Bachelor's
|
4 | South Hadley, Massachusetts | Private | mtholyoke.edu |
| Rowan University |
Other Award
|
4 | Glassboro, New Jersey | Public | rowan.edu |
| University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
|
4 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
| Stanford University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
4 | Stanford, California | Private | stanford.edu |
| University of California (UCD) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Davis, California | Public | ucdavis.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
3 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| Santa Clara University (SCU) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Santa Clara, California | Private | scu.edu |
| Southwestern College (SWC) |
Associate's
|
3 | Chula Vista, California | Public | swccd.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| DePaul University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
3 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | depaul.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
3 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| Washington University in St Louis (WashU) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | wustl.edu |
| Dartmouth College |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Hanover, New Hampshire | Private | dartmouth.edu |
| Montclair State University |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Montclair, New Jersey | Public | montclair.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| Duke University |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Durham, North Carolina | Private | duke.edu |
| Bryn Mawr College |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania | Private | brynmawr.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
| University of Virginia (UVA) |
Bachelor's
|
3 | Charlottesville, Virginia | Public | virginia.edu |
| City College of San Francisco (CCSF) |
Other Award
|
2 | San Francisco, California | Public | ccsf.edu |
| Palomar College |
Associate's
Other Award
|
2 | San Marcos, California | Public | www2.palomar.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| Trinity College |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Hartford, Connecticut | Private | trincoll.edu |
| Georgetown University (GU) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Washington, District of Columbia | Private | georgetown.edu |
| Dominican University |
Bachelor's
|
2 | River Forest, Illinois | Private | dom.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Stony Brook University (SBU) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Stony Brook, New York | Public | stonybrook.edu |
| Kenyon College |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Gambier, Ohio | Private | kenyon.edu |
| University of Oklahoma (OU) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Norman, Oklahoma | Public | ou.edu |
| Texas Christian University (TCU) |
Bachelor's
|
2 | Fort Worth, Texas | Private | tcu.edu |
| De Anza College |
Other Award
|
1 | Cupertino, California | Public | deanza.edu |
| MiraCosta College |
Other Award
|
1 | Oceanside, California | Public | miracosta.edu |
| Pitzer College (PZ) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Claremont, California | Private | pitzer.edu |
| San Diego Mesa College |
Associate's
|
1 | San Diego, California | Public | sdmesa.edu |
| West Valley College (WVC) |
Associate's
|
1 | Saratoga, California | Public | westvalley.edu |
| Fairfield University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Fairfield, Connecticut | Private | fairfield.edu |
| Loyola University Chicago (LUC) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | luc.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| Tulane University of Louisiana |
Bachelor's
|
1 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Private | tulane.edu |
| Salem State University (SSU) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Salem, Massachusetts | Public | salemstate.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| Drew University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Madison, New Jersey | Private | drew.edu |
| Barnard College |
Bachelor's
|
1 | New York, New York | Private | barnard.edu |
| CUNY Hunter College |
Master's
|
1 | New York, New York | Public | hunter.cuny.edu |
| CUNY Queens College |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Queens, New York | Public | qc.cuny.edu |
| Nazareth University |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Rochester, New York | Private | www2.naz.edu |
| Lake Erie College (LEC) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Painesville, Ohio | Private | lec.edu |
| Temple University |
Other Award
|
1 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
| University of Dallas (UD) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Irving, Texas | Private | udallas.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
|
1 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Italian Language and Literature programs
How much can I earn with a Italian Language and Literature degree?
Salaries for Italian 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 Italian Language and Literature programs?
Currently 80 accredited institutions offer Italian Language and Literature degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include Pasadena City College (PCC) (47 graduates), University of Notre Dame (ND) (16 graduates), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (14 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 Italian Language and Literature growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 620 in 2010 to a peak of 406 in 2020, before declining slightly to 334 in 2023-24. This represents a 46% 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 Italian 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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