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Conversational english teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a conversational english teacher. Conversational english teachers usually study english, psychology, or business. 75% of conversational english teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 362 real conversational english teacher resumes to see exactly what conversational english teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for conversational english teachers are the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus and the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus.

There are also many online conversational english teacher courses to help get the education required to be a conversational english teacher.

There are certain conversational english teacher certifications that you should consider. These conversational english teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Certificate to Teach English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL).

What education do you need to become a conversational english teacher?

What degree do you need to be a conversational english teacher?

The most common degree for conversational english teachers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of conversational english teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 5%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a conversational english teacher?

You should major in english to become a conversational english teacher. 14% of conversational english teachers major in english. Other common majors for a conversational english teacher include psychology and business.

Most common colleges for conversational english teachers

Conversational english teachers often get their degrees at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus, University of Phoenix, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for conversational english teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Conversational english teacher common collegePercentages
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus12.90%
University of Phoenix11.29%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.45%
University of Iowa6.45%
Appalachian State University4.84%

Best majors for conversational english teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1English13.9%
2Psychology12.7%
3Business6.9%
4Political Science6.9%
5History6.9%

Best colleges for conversational english teachers

The best colleges for conversational english teachers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

A conversational english 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 conversational english 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 conversational english teachers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

20 best online courses for conversational english teachers

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20. Basic English Grammar And Structures

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Top 10 most affordable universities for conversational english teachers

The most affordable schools for conversational english teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for conversational english 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 conversational english 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for conversational english teachers

The hardest universities for conversational english teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for conversational english 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 conversational english 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for conversational english teachers

The easiest schools for conversational english teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a conversational english 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 conversational english teachers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average conversational english teacher salary by education level

According to our data, conversational english teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,313 annually. Conversational english teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,886.
Conversational english teacher education levelConversational english teacher salary
Master's Degree$51,886
Doctorate Degree$59,313

Conversational english 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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