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Language teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a language teacher. Language teachers usually study english, education, or elementary education. 64% of language teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 3,044 real language teacher resumes to see exactly what language teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for language teachers are the Brigham Young University and the Brigham Young University.
There are also many online language teacher courses to help get the education required to be a language teacher.
There are certain language teacher certifications that you should consider. These language teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a language teacher?
What degree do you need to be a language teacher?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 6%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a language teacher?
- English, 17%
- Education, 11%
- Linguistics, 8%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for language teachers
| Language teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Brigham Young University | 10.58% |
| New York University | 8.17% |
| National University | 7.21% |
| Florida State University | 5.77% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.77% |
Best majors for language teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 17.1% |
| 2 | Education | 11.3% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 8.5% |
| 4 | Linguistics | 7.7% |
| 5 | Business | 6.8% |
Best colleges for language teachers
The best colleges for language teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A 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 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 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. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for language teachers
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20. TESOL and TPRS Course (For Language Teachers)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for language teachers
The most affordable schools for language teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for 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 language 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. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for language teachers
The hardest universities for language teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for 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 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for language teachers
The easiest schools for language teachers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 language teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average language teacher salary by education level
| Language teacher education level | Language teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,280 |
| Doctorate Degree | $57,750 |
Language teacher 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