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Language specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a language specialist. Language specialists usually study english, business, or linguistics. 56% of language specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 855 real language specialist resumes to see exactly what language specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for language specialists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online language specialist courses to help get the education required to be a language specialist.
There are certain language specialist certifications that you should consider. These language specialist certifications include Certified Translator and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).
What education do you need to become a language specialist?
What degree do you need to be a language specialist?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 3%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a language specialist?
- English, 16%
- Business, 12%
- Linguistics, 12%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for language specialists
| Language specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.18% |
| American University | 7.14% |
| Brigham Young University | 7.14% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.14% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 7.14% |
Best majors for language specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 16.1% |
| 2 | Business | 12.4% |
| 3 | Linguistics | 11.9% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 7.1% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 6.1% |
Best colleges for language specialists
The best colleges for language specialists are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A language specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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 language specialists
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16. Web Authentication With Golang - Google's Go Language
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17. Project Charter Specialist (Accredited) Project Management
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18. Speak English Like a Native: Troubleshooting Course for ESL
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20. CONFIDENCE and SELF ESTEEM: Develop Confident Body Language
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Top 10 most affordable universities for language specialists
The most affordable schools for language specialists 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 language specialists 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 specialists.
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 language specialists
The hardest universities for language specialists to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for language specialists 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 specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for language specialists
The easiest schools for language specialists 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 language specialist 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 specialists.
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 language specialist salary by education level
| Language specialist education level | Language specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,768 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,015 |
Language specialist 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