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Sign language teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sign language teacher. Sign language teachers usually study special education, american sign language, or psychology. 60% of sign language teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 443 real sign language teacher resumes to see exactly what sign language teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for sign language teachers are the Gallaudet University and the Gallaudet University.
There are also many online sign language teacher courses to help get the education required to be a sign language teacher.
There are certain sign language teacher certifications that you should consider. These sign language teacher certifications include Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Master Level Sign Language.
What education do you need to become a sign language teacher?
What degree do you need to be a sign language teacher?
- Bachelor's, 60%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a sign language teacher?
- Special Education, 21%
- Psychology, 9%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for sign language teachers
| Sign language teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Gallaudet University | 27.16% |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | 12.35% |
| Northern Arizona University | 4.94% |
| University of North Florida | 4.94% |
| Michigan State University | 4.94% |
Best majors for sign language teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Special Education | 21.2% |
| 2 | American Sign Language | 9.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 8.7% |
| 4 | Education | 8.7% |
| 5 | English | 6.3% |
Best colleges for sign language teachers
The best colleges for sign language teachers are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
A sign 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 sign 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 sign language teachers.
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
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 sign language teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sign language teachers
The most affordable schools for sign language teachers 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 sign 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 sign language teachers.
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sign language teachers
The hardest universities for sign language teachers to get into are Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for sign 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 sign 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. 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sign language teachers
The easiest schools for sign language teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sign 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 sign language teachers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
5. Notre Dame of Maryland University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,069
6. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average sign language teacher salary by education level
| Sign language teacher education level | Sign language teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,013 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,722 |
Sign 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