---

Bilingual & Multilingual Education

A program that focuses on the design and provision of teaching and other educational services to bilingual/bicultural children or adults, and/or the design and implementation of educational programs having the goal of producing bilingual/bicultural individuals. Includes preparation to serve as teachers and administrators in bilingual/bicultural education programs.

Types of Degrees Bilingual & Multilingual Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Bilingual & Multilingual Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	88
Master’s Degree	828
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Bilingual & Multilingual Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Bilingual & Multilingual Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Bilingual & Multilingual Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Bilingual & Multilingual Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Bilingual & Multilingual Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	3.8 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Bilingual & Multilingual Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Seesaw	Multi-media educational software	—
Children’s educational software	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates include:

• Teacher
• Educator
• Montessori Teacher
• Instructor
• Classroom Teacher
• Art Teacher
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Lecturer
• Early Childhood Teacher
• Bilingual Instructor
• Bilingual Teacher
• ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language Teacher)
• Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher)
• After School Teacher
• English Teacher

What Can You Do With a Bilingual & Multilingual Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Bilingual & Multilingual Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	42.9%
Doctoral degree	23.5%
Master’s degree	10.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	8.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.0%
Some college courses	2.4%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Bilingual & Multilingual Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 88.2% of Bilingual & Multilingual Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	822	88.2%
Men	110	11.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	286	30.7%
Asian	40	4.3%
Hispanic or Latino	502	53.9%
Black or African American	12	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	1.1%
Two or More Races	7	0.8%
Race Unknown	27	2.9%
International Students	48	5.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Bilingual & Multilingual Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$61,405
4 years	$62,672
5 years	$69,660

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,660 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Bilingual & Multilingual Education Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Bilingual & Multilingual Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	11	10

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Bilingual & Multilingual Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Bilingual & Multilingual Education graduates earn a median of $62,672 four years after completion — roughly 65% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor	5,071
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education	1,634
Multicultural Education	329
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other	326
Montessori Teacher Education	264
Online Educator/Online Teaching	115
Indian/Native American Education	47
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other	21
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	16
International Teaching and Learning	11
Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.