Foreign language professor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a foreign language professor. Foreign language professors usually study business, english, or political science. 66% of foreign language professors hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 226 real foreign language professor resumes to see exactly what foreign language professor education sections show.

The most common colleges for foreign language professors are the National University and the National University.

There are also many online foreign language professor courses to help get the education required to be a foreign language professor.

What education do you need to become a foreign language professor?

What degree do you need to be a foreign language professor?

The most common degree for foreign language professors is bachelor's degree, with 66% of foreign language professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 66%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

Doctorate, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a foreign language professor?

You should major in business to become a foreign language professor. 11% of foreign language professors major in business. Other common majors for a foreign language professor include english and political science.

Business, 11%

English, 9%

Political Science, 9%

Elementary Education, 9%

Other Majors, 62%

Most common colleges for foreign language professors

Foreign language professors often get their degrees at National University, University of Florida, and Drake University. Here are the most common colleges for foreign language professors in the US based on their resumes.

Foreign language professor common college	Percentages
National University	11.43%
University of Florida	8.57%
Drake University	8.57%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	5.71%
Emory University	5.71%

Show more common foreign language professor colleges

Best majors for foreign language professors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	11.2%
2	English	9.2%
3	Political Science	9.2%
4	Elementary Education	9.2%
5	Linguistics	7.1%

Show more common foreign language professor majors

Best colleges for foreign language professors

The best colleges for foreign language professors are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A foreign language professor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for foreign language professors. 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 foreign language professors.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

20 best online courses for foreign language professors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for foreign language professors

The most affordable schools for foreign language professors are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for foreign language professors 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 foreign language professors.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for foreign language professors

The hardest universities for foreign language professors to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for foreign language professors 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 foreign language professors 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,488

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for foreign language professors

The easiest schools for foreign language professors to get into are Holy Names University, wayland baptist university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a foreign language professor 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 foreign language professors.

1. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. College of Mount Saint Vincent

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,021

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average foreign language professor salary by education level

According to our data, foreign language professors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $38,203 annually. Foreign language professors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,093.

Foreign language professor education level	Foreign language professor salary
Master's Degree	$32,093
Doctorate Degree	$38,203

Foreign language professor education FAQs

What is the best college for Foreign Language Professors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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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