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English as Second/Foreign Language

A program that focuses on the principles and practice of teaching English to students who are not proficient in English or who do not speak, read or write English, and that may prepare individuals to function as teachers and administrators in such programs.

Types of Degrees English as Second/Foreign Language Majors Are Earning

Those studying English as Second/Foreign Language have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	39
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	265
Master’s Degree	4,695
Doctor’s Degree	33

What English as Second/Foreign Language Majors Need to Know

Studies in English as Second/Foreign Language develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that English as Second/Foreign Language graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in English as Second/Foreign Language emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a English as Second/Foreign Language program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to English as Second/Foreign Language careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, English as Second/Foreign Language graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by English as Second/Foreign Language professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Seesaw	Multi-media educational software	—
Children’s educational software	Computer based training software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Google Classroom	Project management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Bloomz	Desktop communications software	—
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
Common Curriculum	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for English as Second/Foreign Language graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to English as Second/Foreign Language graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	57.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	11.2%
Master’s degree	10.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	7.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.1%
Some college courses	3.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in English as Second/Foreign Language?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.9% of English as Second/Foreign Language degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,155	81.9%
Men	916	18.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of English as Second/Foreign Language graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,415	47.6%
Asian	263	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,129	22.3%
Black or African American	200	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.1%
Two or More Races	122	2.4%
Race Unknown	301	5.9%
International Students	622	12.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do English as Second/Foreign Language Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of English as Second/Foreign Language graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$61,547
4 years	$57,320
5 years	$63,672

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $63,672 — roughly 3% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online English as Second/Foreign Language Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for English as Second/Foreign Language. 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
Bachelor’s	4	3
Master’s	54	38
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{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 as Second/Foreign Language Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, English as Second/Foreign Language graduates earn a median of $57,320 four years after completion — roughly 51% 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 or French as a Second or Foreign Language	5,092
Bilingual and Multilingual Education	932
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods	399
Montessori Teacher Education	264
Online Educator/Online Teaching	115
Environmental Education	86
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other	21
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education	16
International Teaching and Learning	11
Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language	—
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.