Multilingual Education

Types of Degrees Multilingual Education Majors Are Getting

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

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	849
Graduate Certificate	794
Doctor’s Degree	29

What Multilingual Education Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to multilingual 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 Multilingual Education Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Multilingual Education Majors

A major in multilingual education prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Multilingual Education Majors

A major in multilingual education will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• 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.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Multilingual Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with multilingual education:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	7.4%	$58,230
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	8.0%	$55,470
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
Tutors	9.9%	NA

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Multilingual Education?

This major is dominated by women with about 84% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	36
Black or African American	22
Hispanic or Latino	317
White	341
International Students	54
Other Races/Ethnicities	79

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Multilingual Education. About 6.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Mexico
• Taiwan
• Japan
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Multilingual Education Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that multilingual education students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $55,265 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $52,936 (25th percentile) and $60,699 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in multilingual education, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Multilingual Education majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $58,370 to $62,200 (25th to 75th percentile). 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.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Multilingual Education

Some degrees associated with multilingual education may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to multilingual education have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	0.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.3%
Some College Courses	3.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	62.1%
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.	11.3%
Master’s Degree	16.1%
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.	1.7%
Doctoral Degree	1.2%

Online Multilingual Education Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 176 schools offered some type of multilingual 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)	4	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	7	0
Bachelor’s Degree	72	23
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	85	17
Post-Master’s	25	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	10	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Multilingual Education Worth It?

The median salary for a multilingual education grad is $62,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $442,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Multilingual Education

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

Major	Number of Grads
Educational Administration	45,458
Teacher Education Grade Specific	34,451
Special Education	25,158
General Education	21,189
Teacher Education Subject Specific	20,616
Curriculum & Instruction	19,784
Student Counseling	13,840
Instructional Media Design	8,387
Teaching English or French	4,743
Other Education	2,513
Educational Assessment	1,215
Education Philosophy	421
International Education	257
Teaching Assistants	20

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By DIAC images under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.