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World language teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a world language teacher. World language teachers usually study education, elementary education, or linguistics. 52% of world language teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 39% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 342 real world language teacher resumes to see exactly what world language teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for world language teachers are the Montclair State University and the Montclair State University.

There are also many online world language teacher courses to help get the education required to be a world language teacher.

What education do you need to become a world language teacher?

What degree do you need to be a world language teacher?

The most common degree for world language teachers is bachelor's degree, with 52% of world language teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 39% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Master's, 39%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a world language teacher?

You should major in education to become a world language teacher. 15% of world language teachers major in education. Other common majors for a world language teacher include elementary education and linguistics.

Most common colleges for world language teachers

World language teachers often get their degrees at Montclair State University, University of Connecticut, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for world language teachers in the US based on their resumes.
World language teacher common collegePercentages
Montclair State University8.00%
University of Connecticut6.00%
University of Florida6.00%
Illinois State University6.00%
Central Connecticut State University6.00%

Best majors for world language teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Education14.9%
2Elementary Education11.3%
3Linguistics10.3%
4English9.3%
5Area Studies8.2%

Best colleges for world language teachers

The best colleges for world language teachers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A world 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 world 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 world 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. 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 world language teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for world language teachers

The most affordable schools for world language teachers 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 world 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 world language teachers.

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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 world language teachers

The hardest universities for world language teachers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for world 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 world 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. 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. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

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. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

8. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for world language teachers

The easiest schools for world language teachers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a world 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 world language teachers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Notre Dame of Maryland University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,069

Average world language teacher salary by education level

According to our data, world language teachers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,249 annually. World language teachers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $51,266.
World language teacher education levelWorld language teacher salary
Master's Degree$51,266
Doctorate Degree$59,249

World language teacher 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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