Second Language Learning Degrees (2026 stats)

Last updated: April 29, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

Second Language Learning maps to BLS occupations averaging about $122,550, with roughly 60,440 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 60%; median in-state published tuition is about $5,020.

Key Statistics

230
Total Degrees Awarded (2023)
$5,020
Median In-State Public Tuition
$39,664
Median Out-of-State Private Tuition
$122,550
Avg. Wage (related occupations)
60,440
Workers (related occupations)
60.2%
Median Graduation Rate (4-yr schools)
75
Bachelor's Completions (IPEDS 2023)

Second Language Learning: what the data shows

Common questions about second language learning degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.

What is a second language learning degree?

A Second Language Learning program is classified under NCES CIP 00.1617 in the 00.0016 field family (00.16).

IPEDS counted 230 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.

Types of second language learning degrees and related programs

Other NCES program codes in the 00.16 family with pages on EDsmart Data:

How long does it take to get a second language learning degree?

Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1617 in our file:

  • 75 Bachelor's (100.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years

Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.

What do you learn in second language learning?

O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Instructing, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, Writing, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.

What degree do you need?

For Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 00.1617, but occupation data show multiple pathways.

O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.

What jobs can you get with a second language learning degree?

Our degree→occupation mapping links Second Language Learning to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian annual wage
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors36,260$59,950
Speech-Language Pathologists178,790$95,410
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary59,590$78,270
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary21,170$77,010
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians136,390$78,680
Computer Hardware Engineers75,710$155,020

See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.

Is a second language learning degree worth it?

Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $5,020 and median net price is $9,433.

We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.

Institutions

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Second Language Learning and the types of students that study this field.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$5,020 Median In-State Public

$39,664 Median Out of State Private

Tuition costs for Second Language Learning majors are, on average, $5,020 for in-state public colleges, and $39,664 for out of state private colleges.

Tuition costs comparison for Second Language Learning programs.

Degrees Awarded Over Time

230 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Second Language Learning from 2015 to 2023.

Historical trend of degrees awarded in Second Language Learning.

Top 5 Schools by Enrollment

# School State Enrollment
1 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX 27,026
2 Monroe Community College NY 7,737
3 Washtenaw Community College MI 7,736
4 Laney College CA 7,158
5 Hudson County Community College NJ 6,386

Schools with the largest enrollment offering Second Language Learning programs.

Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition

# School State Tuition
1 Laney College CA $1,148
2 Washtenaw Community College MI $2,736
3 St Charles Community College MO $3,000
4 Hudson County Community College NJ $5,020
5 Raritan Valley Community College NJ $5,520

Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Second Language Learning programs.

Top 5 Lowest Net Price

# School State Net Price
1 Washtenaw Community College MI $3,561
2 Hudson County Community College NJ $5,902
3 St Charles Community College MO $5,981
4 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley TX $6,500
5 Monroe Community College NY $6,569

Schools with the lowest average net price for Second Language Learning programs.

Graduation Rates

60.25% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)

59.13% Average Graduation Rate

136 Institutions Reporting

47.35% - 71.11% Interquartile Range

Graduation/completion rates for Second Language Learning programs across institutions.

Related specializations

Other NCES program codes in the 00.16 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.

Degree Levels (IPEDS)

Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 00.1617 in the survey year used in our extract (75 total across levels below).

  • 75 Bachelor's (100.0% of IPEDS total)

Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.

Careers & Jobs

Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.

Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $122,550. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Second Language Learning graduates alone.

Related occupations (BLS OEWS)

Occupation Mean annual wage U.S. employment
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$100,12936,260
Speech-Language Pathologists$117,150178,790
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$145,21259,590
Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$129,69121,170
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$88,062136,390
Computer Hardware Engineers$188,33375,710

Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.

Employment

Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

$141,727 Average Wage in Workforce

The average salary for Second Language Learning majors is $141,727.

Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Second Language Learning majors.

Occupations by Share

60,440 2023 Workforce

The number of Second Language Learning graduates in the workforce has been growing.

Various jobs filled by those with a major in Second Language Learning by share of the total number of graduates.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Second Language Learning in the United States.

Workforce Age

N/A Average Age in 2023

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Second Language Learning.

Age distribution for Second Language Learning degree holders in the workforce.

Gender Distribution

Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Gender distribution of Second Language Learning degree recipients.

Race and Ethnicity Distribution

Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.

Racial and ethnic distribution of Second Language Learning degree recipients.

Degrees Awarded

The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Second Language Learning are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.

Distribution of degree types awarded in Second Language Learning.

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Second Language Learning field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Required Skills

Second Language Learning majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.

Rating of how necessary various skills are for Second Language Learning majors.

Skills Bar Chart

This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.

Skill importance ratings for Second Language Learning majors.

About

Second Language Learning

In 2023, 230 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Second Language Learning.

CIP Code

00.1617 - Second Language Learning

What the data shows

Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $122,550. The largest mapped role by headcount is Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors (36,260 U.S. jobs in OEWS).

Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $5,020 in-state at public colleges and $39,664 at private institutions for programs in this field.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.

All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.