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Assistant language teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an assistant language teacher. Assistant language teachers usually study psychology, english, or early childhood education. 72% of assistant language teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,323 real assistant language teacher resumes to see exactly what assistant language teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for assistant language teachers are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online assistant language teacher courses to help get the education required to be an assistant language teacher.

There are certain assistant language teacher certifications that you should consider. These assistant language teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become an assistant language teacher?

What degree do you need to be an assistant language teacher?

The most common degree for assistant language teachers is bachelor's degree, with 72% of assistant language teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 72%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an assistant language teacher?

You should major in psychology to become an assistant language teacher. 12% of assistant language teachers major in psychology. Other common majors for an assistant language teacher include english and early childhood education.

Most common colleges for assistant language teachers

Assistant language teachers often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California - Davis, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for assistant language teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Assistant language teacher common collegePercentages
University of California, Santa Barbara9.21%
University of California - Davis8.89%
Florida State University6.98%
University of California, Berkeley5.40%
Ohio State University5.08%

Best majors for assistant language teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology11.6%
2English9.6%
3Early Childhood Education7.6%
4Area Studies7.4%
5Business7.2%

Best colleges for assistant language teachers

The best colleges for assistant language teachers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

An assistant language teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for assistant language teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become assistant language teachers.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

9. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for assistant language teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant language teachers

The most affordable schools for assistant language teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for assistant language teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for assistant language teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant language teachers

The hardest universities for assistant language teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for assistant language teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for assistant language teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant language teachers

The easiest schools for assistant language teachers to get into are Bluefield College, notre dame de namur university, and life university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant language teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for assistant language teachers.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average assistant language teacher salary by education level

Assistant language teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $30,554 annually. With a Master's degree, assistant language teachers earn a median annual income of $29,999 compared to $28,041 for assistant language teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Assistant language teacher education levelAssistant language teacher salary
Master's Degree$29,999
High School Diploma or Less$27,111
Bachelor's Degree$28,041
Doctorate Degree$30,554
Some College/ Associate Degree$27,399

Assistant language teacher education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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