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Modern Language Education Major

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Modern Language Education

83 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
220 Master's Degrees Annually
#45 in Popularity
$64,340 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Modern Language Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many modern language education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 220
Bachelor’s Degree 83
Graduate Certificate 28
Doctor’s Degree 7

What Modern Language Education Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to modern language education were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Modern Language Education Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in modern language education should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Modern Language Education Majors

modern language education majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities for Modern Language Education Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a modern language education student include the following:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Modern Language Education Major?

People with a modern language education degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Education Professors 10.3% $64,780
Foreign Language and Literature Professors 11.7% $67,640
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $58,600
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Language Education?

83 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
78% Percent Women
24% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 78% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of modern language education majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 5
Black or African American 1
Hispanic or Latino 9
White 55
International Students 7
Other Races/Ethnicities 6

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Modern Language Education, too. About 8.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Modern Language Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $62,030 to $73,680 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to modern language education. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Modern Language Education Major  ( 62030 to 73680 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with modern language education require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for modern language education careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 0.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 1.9%
Bachelor’s Degree 38.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 9.0%
Master’s Degree 16.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.9%
Doctoral Degree 31.6%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.0%

Online Modern Language Education Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 106 schools offered some type of modern language education program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 0 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 4 0
Bachelor’s Degree 18 2
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 41 3
Post-Master’s 5 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 3 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Modern Language Education Worth It?

The median salary for a modern language education grad is $64,340 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 61% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $488,800 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to modern language education.

Major Number of Grads
Physical Education Teaching & Coaching 8,121
Reading Teacher Education 6,490
Music Education 4,761
Mathematics Education 3,395
English & Language Arts Education 3,113
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 2,335
Social Studies Education 1,968
Art Education 1,837
Health Education 1,801
Science Education 1,371
Agricultural Teacher Education 1,130
Biology Education 865
History Education 804
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education 715
Technology Education 575
Social Science Teacher Education 474
Technical Teacher Education 462
Spanish Education 457
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist 370
Drama & Dance Education 293
Family & Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 286
Chemistry Education 238
Computer Teacher Education 217
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 185
Earth Science Teacher Education 169
Physics Education 152
Environmental Education 96
Speech Teacher Education 68
Driver & Safety Teacher Education 55
French Language Teacher Education 55
Health Occupations Teacher Education 48
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education 22
Distributive Education 11
German Language Teacher Education 8
Psychology Teacher Education 5
Latin Teacher Education 4
Geography Teacher Education 3

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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