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Language instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a language instructor. Language instructors usually study english, linguistics, or business. 66% of language instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,298 real language instructor resumes to see exactly what language instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for language instructors are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online language instructor courses to help get the education required to be a language instructor.
There are certain language instructor certifications that you should consider. These 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 a language instructor?
What degree do you need to be a language instructor?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 6%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a language instructor?
- English, 21%
- Linguistics, 9%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 55%
Most common colleges for language instructors
| Language instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 7.77% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.07% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.89% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.36% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.36% |
Best majors for language instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 21.2% |
| 2 | Linguistics | 8.8% |
| 3 | Business | 8.5% |
| 4 | Political Science | 6.0% |
| 5 | Education | 6.0% |
Best colleges for language instructors
The best colleges for language instructors are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
A 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 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 language instructors.
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 Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
20 best online courses for language instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for language instructors
The most affordable schools for language instructors are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 language instructors.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
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. 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. 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 language instructors
The hardest universities for language instructors to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for 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 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
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
6%
SAT average
1,517
9. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for language instructors
The easiest schools for language instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, college of mount saint vincent, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 language instructors.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. College of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,021
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
8. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average language instructor salary by education level
| Language instructor education level | Language instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,573 |
| Doctorate Degree | $64,986 |
Language instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025