---

English & Language Arts Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach English grammar, composition and literature programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees English & Language Arts Education Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing English & Language Arts Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	14
Associate’s Degree	32
Bachelor’s Degree	1,908
Master’s Degree	1,044
Doctor’s Degree	20

What English & Language Arts Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in English & Language Arts Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that English & Language Arts Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing English & Language Arts Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a English & Language Arts Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, English & Language Arts Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by English & Language Arts Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for English & Language Arts Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Assistant Professor
• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• College Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Teacher
• English Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• English Instructor
• Adult Basic Education Instructor

What Can You Do With a English & Language Arts Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in English & Language Arts 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
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	14.3%	$88,437	$73,309–$103,565

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	50.6%
Bachelor’s degree	24.1%
Master’s degree	13.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.1%
Less than a high school diploma	4.6%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in English & Language Arts Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 76.9% of English & Language Arts Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,321	76.9%
Men	697	23.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English & Language Arts Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,150	71.2%
Asian	91	3.0%
Hispanic or Latino	394	13.1%
Black or African American	132	4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	112	3.7%
Race Unknown	73	2.4%
International Students	42	1.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do English & Language Arts Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of English & Language Arts 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	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online English & Language Arts Education Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for English & Language Arts 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
Associate’s	1	2
Bachelor’s	12	15
Master’s	20	11

^{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 English & Language Arts Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, English & Language Arts Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% 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 and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Health Teacher Education	1,472
Agricultural Teacher Education	1,051

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.