Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 13.14. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 810 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 118 | 989 | $35,081 | $43,689 | $19,500 1 programs |
| Associate's degree | 6 | 2 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 104 | 270 | $36,625 | $42,259 | $21,635 3 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 32 | 0 | $55,482 | $62,752 | $19,250 4 programs |
| Master's degree | 269 | 2,744 | $61,882 | $65,767 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 11 | 33 | Data unavailable | $87,512 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 269 | 1,054 | $65,281 | $71,178 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater State University MA · Public · 22 graduates measured | $45,328 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 39 graduates measured | $31,924 | $51,053 | $19,500 |
| Prestige Health & Beauty Sciences Academy FL · Private, for-profit · 21 graduates measured | $11,846 | $10,611 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 26 graduates measured | $54,121 | $79,175 | Data unavailable |
| University of Northern Iowa IA · Public · 36 graduates measured | $42,709 | Data unavailable | $21,635 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX · Public · 26 graduates measured | $39,378 | Data unavailable | $13,356 |
| Liberty University VA · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $35,861 | $46,899 | $23,944 |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus AZ · Private, for-profit · 18 graduates measured | $33,428 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras PR · Public · 16 graduates measured | $26,338 | $33,207 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · 26 graduates measured | $103,918 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lipscomb University TN · Private, nonprofit · 37 graduates measured | $63,234 | Data unavailable | $21,375 |
| Midland University NE · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $54,375 | Data unavailable | $24,686 |
| University of Arkansas AR · Public · 86 graduates measured | $53,335 | Data unavailable | $15,625 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY Lehman College NY · Public · 37 graduates measured | $87,091 | $96,469 | Data unavailable |
| Mercy University NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $83,830 | $81,625 | Data unavailable |
| College of Staten Island CUNY NY · Public · 34 graduates measured | $83,446 | $86,896 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY City College NY · Public · 76 graduates measured | $79,626 | $85,112 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Queens College NY · Public · 50 graduates measured | $79,526 | $87,317 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · 100 graduates measured | $78,802 | $84,459 | Data unavailable |
| Touro University NY · Private, nonprofit · 78 graduates measured | $78,176 | $85,537 | Data unavailable |
| University of Saint Joseph CT · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $76,807 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Boricua College NY · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $76,250 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Stony Brook University NY · Public · 26 graduates measured | $70,796 | $77,223 | Data unavailable |
| The College of New Jersey NJ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $70,347 | $63,611 | Data unavailable |
| Molloy University NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $68,324 | $84,750 | Data unavailable |
| Dominican University IL · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $67,707 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Holy Family University PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $67,593 | $69,815 | Data unavailable |
| Western Governors University UT · Private, nonprofit · 568 graduates measured | $67,436 | $72,564 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy University NY · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $101,022 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY City College NY · Public · 19 graduates measured | $99,125 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| St. John's University-New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $89,625 | $106,313 | Data unavailable |
| Adelphi University NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $87,011 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Fordham University NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $86,982 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Alliant International University-San Diego CA · Private, for-profit · 98 graduates measured | $73,249 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Olivet Nazarene University IL · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $61,729 | $74,874 | Data unavailable |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham AL · Public · 24 graduates measured | $60,789 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $59,535 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Grand Canyon University AZ · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $58,238 | $65,245 | Data unavailable |
| Freed-Hardeman University TN · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $56,083 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Missouri State University-Springfield MO · Public · 27 graduates measured | $46,560 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool teachers, except special education | $38,140 | +4.5% | Associate's degree |
| Kindergarten teachers, except special education | $62,680 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Elementary school teachers, except special education | $63,970 | -0.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $64,370 | -0.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors | $61,540 | -13.9% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (3)
- 13.1401 Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
- 13.1402 Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
- 13.1499 Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other