2024 Best Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Master's Degree Schools

Ranked #55 in popularity, teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 166 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,448 master's degrees in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Master’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor School for Your Master's Degree

The teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.

 

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for a Master's in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

1

Teachers College at Columbia University
New York, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

44 Annual Graduates

Teachers College at Columbia University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Teachers College at Columbia University

2

New York University
New York, NY

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

62 Annual Graduates

New York University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from New York University

3

University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

71 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor needs to take a look at University of Pennsylvania. UPenn is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Philadelphia.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from University of Pennsylvania

4

The City College of New York
New York, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

104 Annual Graduates

The City College of New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. CCNY is a fairly large public college located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from The City College of New York

5

University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

91 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from University of Southern California

6

The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

34 Annual Graduates

TCNJ is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Ewing.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from The College of New Jersey

7

Queens College
Queens, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

32 Annual Graduates

QC is a large public college located in the city of Queens.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Queens College

8

Hunter College
New York, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

87 Annual Graduates

Hunter is a very large public college located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Hunter College

9

Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

483 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Salt Lake City, WGU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Western Governors University

9

Seattle University
Seattle, WA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

3 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, Seattle U is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Seattle University

10

Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Vanderbilt University

11

Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

40 Annual Graduates

Hamline is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Hamline University

12

Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

28 Annual Graduates

SUNY Stony Brook is a very large public university located in the suburb of Stony Brook.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Stony Brook University

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

10 Annual Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14

Boston University
Boston, MA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

30 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Boston, Boston U is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Boston University

15

Webster University
Saint Louis, MO

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

49 Annual Graduates

Webster is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Webster University

16

Lehman College
Bronx, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

15 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Bronx, Lehman is a public college with a large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Lehman College

17

University of San Diego
San Diego, CA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

4 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from University of San Diego

18

Bank Street College of Education
New York, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

7 Annual Graduates

Bank Street College of Education is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Bank Street College of Education

19

Touro College
New York, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

45 Annual Graduates

Touro is a large private not-for-profit college located in the large city of New York.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Touro College

20

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

30 Annual Graduates

UAB is a very large public university located in the city of Birmingham.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from University of Alabama at Birmingham

21

Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

21 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Saint Cloud State University

22

Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

6 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Fairfield, Fairfield U is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Fairfield University

23

Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

16 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Rockville Centre, Molloy is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Molloy College

24

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

1 Annual Graduates

Iowa State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Ames.More information about a master’s in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor from Iowa State University

Rest of the Top Best Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Master's Degree Schools

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor students that almost earned our Best Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Master's Degree Schools award.

Rank	College	Location
26	Grand Canyon University	Phoenix, AZ
27	University of Rochester	Rochester, NY
28	Indiana University - Bloomington	Bloomington, IN
29	Framingham State University	Framingham, MA
30	Concordia University, Nebraska	Seward, NE
31	American University	Washington, DC
32	St John’s University - New York	Queens, NY
33	Western Oregon University	Monmouth, OR
25	University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls, IA

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor by Region

View the Best Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Related Rankings by Major

One of 2 majors within the Teaching English or French area of study, Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Majors Related to Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other	2

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
• Credit for the banner image above goes to G0h4r. More about our data sources and methodologies.