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English as a second language teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an english as a second language teacher. English as a second language teachers usually study english, education, or elementary education. 70% of english as a second language teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,141 real english as a second language teacher resumes to see exactly what english as a second language teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for english as a second language teachers are the Temple University and the Temple University.
There are also many online english as a second language teacher courses to help get the education required to be an english as a second language teacher.
There are certain english as a second language teacher certifications that you should consider. These english as a second language 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 an english as a second language teacher?
What degree do you need to be an english as a second language teacher?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an english as a second language teacher?
- English, 18%
- Education, 10%
- Elementary Education, 10%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for english as a second language teachers
| English as a second language teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Temple University | 7.89% |
| New York University | 6.45% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.09% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.73% |
| Michigan State University | 5.38% |
Best majors for english as a second language teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 17.5% |
| 2 | Education | 10.1% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 9.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.2% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.1% |
Best colleges for english as a second language teachers
The best colleges for english as a second language teachers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
An english as a second 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 english as a second 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 english as a second language teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
20 best online courses for english as a second language teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for english as a second language teachers
The most affordable schools for english as a second language teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for english as a second 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 english as a second 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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for english as a second language teachers
The hardest universities for english as a second language teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for english as a second 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 english as a second 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for english as a second language teachers
The easiest schools for english as a second language 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 an english as a second 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 english as a second language 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. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
5. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
Average english as a second language teacher salary by education level
| English as a second language teacher education level | English as a second language teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,726 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,274 |
English as a second language teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025