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English as a second language instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an english as a second language instructor. English as a second language instructors usually study english, education, or linguistics. 66% of english as a second language instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,007 real english as a second language instructor resumes to see exactly what english as a second language instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for english as a second language instructors are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online english as a second language instructor courses to help get the education required to be an english as a second language instructor.
There are certain english as a second language instructor certifications that you should consider. These english as a second language instructor 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 an english as a second language instructor?
What degree do you need to be an english as a second language instructor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an english as a second language instructor?
- English, 24%
- Education, 8%
- Linguistics, 7%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for english as a second language instructors
| English as a second language instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 9.14% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.60% |
| University of Washington | 6.09% |
| University of North Texas | 5.58% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.08% |
Best majors for english as a second language instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 24.1% |
| 2 | Education | 7.5% |
| 3 | Linguistics | 7.4% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 6.3% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 5.3% |
Best colleges for english as a second language instructors
The best colleges for english as a second language instructors are Columbia University in the City of New York, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
An english as a second language instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for english as a second language instructors. 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 english as a second language instructors.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for english as a second language instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for english as a second language instructors
The most affordable schools for english as a second language instructors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for english as a second language instructors 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 english as a second language instructors.
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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for english as a second language instructors
The hardest universities for english as a second language instructors to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Harvard University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for english as a second language instructors 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 english as a second language instructors 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for english as a second language instructors
The easiest schools for english as a second language instructors 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 an english as a second language instructor 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 english as a second language instructors.
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average english as a second language instructor salary by education level
| English as a second language instructor education level | English as a second language instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,802 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,462 |
English as a second language instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025