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Languages and literature instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a languages and literature instructor. Languages and literature instructors usually study english, education, or elementary education. 54% of languages and literature instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 222 real languages and literature instructor resumes to see exactly what languages and literature instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for languages and literature instructors are the Teachers College of Columbia University and the Teachers College of Columbia University.

There are also many online languages and literature instructor courses to help get the education required to be a languages and literature instructor.

What education do you need to become a languages and literature instructor?

What degree do you need to be a languages and literature instructor?

The most common degree for languages and literature instructors is bachelor's degree, with 54% of languages and literature instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 36% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 36%
  • Doctorate, 4%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a languages and literature instructor?

You should major in english to become a languages and literature instructor. 37% of languages and literature instructors major in english. Other common majors for a languages and literature instructor include education and elementary education.

Most common colleges for languages and literature instructors

Languages and literature instructors often get their degrees at Teachers College of Columbia University, Temple University, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for languages and literature instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Languages and literature instructor common collegePercentages
Teachers College of Columbia University8.89%
Temple University6.67%
New York University6.67%
Ohio State University6.67%
University of Chicago6.67%

Best majors for languages and literature instructors

RankMajorPercentages
1English37.3%
2Education7.3%
3Elementary Education7.3%
4Russian Language4.0%
5Journalism4.0%

Best colleges for languages and literature instructors

The best colleges for languages and literature instructors are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A languages and literature 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 languages and literature 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 languages and literature 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for languages and literature instructors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for languages and literature instructors

The most affordable schools for languages and literature instructors 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 languages and literature 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 languages and literature instructors.

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. 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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for languages and literature instructors

The hardest universities for languages and literature instructors to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for languages and literature 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 languages and literature 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for languages and literature instructors

The easiest schools for languages and literature instructors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a languages and literature 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 languages and literature instructors.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

5. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,069

9. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average languages and literature instructor salary by education level

According to our data, languages and literature instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $72,183 annually. Languages and literature instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $60,798.
Languages and literature instructor education levelLanguages and literature instructor salary
Master's Degree$60,798
Doctorate Degree$72,183

Languages and literature instructor education FAQs

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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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