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Middle school english teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a middle school english teacher. Middle school english teachers usually study english, education, or elementary education. 73% of middle school english teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 726 real middle school english teacher resumes to see exactly what middle school english teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for middle school english teachers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online middle school english teacher courses to help get the education required to be a middle school english teacher.

There are certain middle school english teacher certifications that you should consider. These middle school english teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).

What education do you need to become a middle school english teacher?

What degree do you need to be a middle school english teacher?

The most common degree for middle school english teachers is bachelor's degree, with 73% of middle school english teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Master's, 22%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a middle school english teacher?

You should major in english to become a middle school english teacher. 28% of middle school english teachers major in english. Other common majors for a middle school english teacher include education and elementary education.

Most common colleges for middle school english teachers

Middle school english teachers often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, Florida State University, and Grand Canyon University. Here are the most common colleges for middle school english teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Middle school english teacher common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park7.61%
Florida State University6.52%
Grand Canyon University6.52%
San Francisco State University5.43%
Kent State University5.43%

Best majors for middle school english teachers

Best colleges for middle school english teachers

The best colleges for middle school english teachers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

A middle school english 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 middle school english 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 middle school english teachers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$55,466

Enrollment

6,752

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

20 best online courses for middle school english teachers

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1. Music Education for Teachers

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2. English for Common Interactions in the Workplace: Basic Level

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In a professional environment, we’re often faced with the need to respond appropriately according to what the situation calls for, whether it be related to situations in daily life or the workplace. This course was designed to provide the worker with linguistic tools which will enable greater ease in basic communications in the workplace. This way, the student will be able to broaden their lexical and grammatical repertoire in English, thus increasing their professional value and skill, and...

3. English Grammar Rules: English Grammar Basics

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4. Complete English Course: Learn English Intermediate Level

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Learn English Language Intermediate Level w/ a Native Teacher & Visual Support- English Speaking, English Grammar, tests...

5. Complete English Course: Learn English Language Beginners

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Learn English for Beginners (A1->A2+) with a Native teacher: English Speaking, English Grammar, English Pronunciation...

6. The Elements of English Grammar

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7. The English Master Course: English Grammar, English Speaking

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8. English Grammar Practice Tests Level B1 2023

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12. English Functional Grammar

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13. 120-Hour TESOL Course for Online English Teachers

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Teach English Online - A Recipe for Long-Term Success...

14. English Grammar and Basic Writing: How to Write Well

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15. English Speaking Complete: English Language Mastery

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Supercharge your English speaking fluency and improve your vocabulary, grammar and English language skills...

16. Full English Course: Master A1, A2, B1, B2 Levels

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Complete English course to master your English grammar, speaking, listening, vocabulary and more...

17. Full English Course: Beginners Level

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18. English Literature: Be as Informed as a Literature Graduate

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The development of English Literature from its earliest texts to the present day...

19. Full English Course: Intermediate Level

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Complete English course to master your English grammar, speaking, reading, listening, vocabulary and more...

20. Full English Course: Pre-Intermediate Level

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Complete English course to master your English grammar, speaking, reading, listening, vocabulary and more...

Top 10 most affordable universities for middle school english teachers

The most affordable schools for middle school english teachers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for middle school english 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 middle school english 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for middle school english teachers

The hardest universities for middle school english teachers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for middle school english 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 middle school english 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

7. Brown University

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for middle school english teachers

The easiest schools for middle school english teachers to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a middle school english 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 middle school english teachers.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

10. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

Average middle school english teacher salary by education level

Middle school english teachers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $59,401 annually. With a Doctorate degree, middle school english teachers earn a median annual income of $58,976 compared to $50,587 for middle school english teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Middle school english teacher education levelMiddle school english teacher salary
Master's Degree$59,401
Bachelor's Degree$50,587
Doctorate Degree$58,976

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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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