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English composition teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an english composition teacher. English composition teachers usually study english, general education, specific areas, or writing. 63% of english composition teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 152 real english composition teacher resumes to see exactly what english composition teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for english composition teachers are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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

What education do you need to become an english composition teacher?

What degree do you need to be an english composition teacher?

The most common degree for english composition teachers is bachelor's degree, with 63% of english composition teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 29% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Master's, 29%
  • Associate, 2%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become an english composition teacher?

You should major in english to become an english composition teacher. 32% of english composition teachers major in english. Other common majors for an english composition teacher include general education, specific areas and writing.

Most common colleges for english composition teachers

English composition teachers often get their degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Auburn University Main Campus, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for english composition teachers in the US based on their resumes.
English composition teacher common collegePercentages
Southern Illinois University Carbondale7.50%
Auburn University Main Campus7.50%
University of Florida5.00%
University of California, Irvine5.00%
Arizona State University5.00%

Best majors for english composition teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1English31.7%
2General Education, Specific Areas11.4%
3Writing8.1%
4Education8.1%
5Communication4.9%

Best colleges for english composition teachers

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

An english composition 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 composition 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 composition teachers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for english composition teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for english composition teachers

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

If the best universities for english composition 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 composition teachers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

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 - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for english composition teachers

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

Some great schools for english composition 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 composition 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

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 composition teachers

The easiest schools for english composition 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 composition 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 composition 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. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average english composition teacher salary by education level

According to our data, english composition teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,206 annually. English composition teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,319.
English composition teacher education levelEnglish composition teacher salary
Master's Degree$51,319
Doctorate Degree$59,206

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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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