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Multilingual Education

Types of Degrees Multilingual Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Multilingual Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	13
Associate’s Degree	4
Bachelor’s Degree	110
Master’s Degree	1,454
Doctor’s Degree	36

What Multilingual Education Majors Need to Know

Studies in Multilingual Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Multilingual Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Multilingual Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Multilingual Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Multilingual Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Multilingual Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.0 / 7
Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People	3.8 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Multilingual Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Multilingual Education graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Educator
• Teacher
• Instructor
• Primary Education Professor
• College Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Special Education Professor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Education Professor
• Music Education Professor
• Tenure-Track Professor
• Education Faculty Member
• Continuing Education Instructor
• Education Adjunct Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Multilingual Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	50.4%
Bachelor’s degree	25.0%
Master’s degree	10.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Some college courses	1.4%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Less than a high school diploma	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Multilingual Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 85.8% of Multilingual Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,402	85.8%
Men	232	14.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Multilingual Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	672	41.1%
Asian	66	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	625	38.2%
Black or African American	74	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	52	3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Two or More Races	28	1.7%
Race Unknown	46	2.8%
International Students	68	4.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Multilingual Education Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Multilingual Education 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	$61,405
4 years	$62,672
5 years	$69,660

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,660 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Multilingual Education Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Multilingual Education. 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
Master’s	19	11

^{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 Multilingual Education Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Multilingual Education graduates earn a median of $62,672 four years after completion — roughly 65% 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	CIP Code
Education	13
Curriculum and Instruction	13.03
Education, General	13.01
Education, Other	13.99
EDUCATION	13.00
Educational Administration and Supervision	13.04
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research	13.06
Educational/Instructional Media Design	13.05
International and Comparative Education	13.07
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education	13.09
Special Education and Teaching	13.10
Student Counseling and Personnel Services	13.11

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.