Maryland·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1124

Best Foreign Language programs in Maryland, ranked by enrollment

Teach languages and literature courses in languages other than English. Includes teachers of American Sign Language (ASL).

19 schools in Maryland run programs that feed this job, graduating 331 people a year. The job pays a median of $87,280 in Maryland across about 280 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorFrench ProfessorSpanish ProfessorSpanish InstructorTeacherLecturerInstructorArabic Teacher
Graduates / yr
331
in Maryland
Median pay · Maryland
$87,280
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
280
people employed
Schools
19
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
58%
across those schools
Median net price
$23,136
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Maryland that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.09
Romance Languages
103graduates / yr
10 schools · 3 specializations · 31.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $34,541
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.01
Linguistic
67graduates / yr
4 schools · 2 specializations · 20.2% of pipeline
Grad earnings $27,449
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.99
Foreign Languages
51graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 15.4% of pipeline
Grad earnings $34,944
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.16
American Sign Language
29graduates / yr
4 schools · 1 specialization · 8.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $32,695
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.03
East Asian Languages
27graduates / yr
3 schools · 3 specializations · 8.1% of pipeline
Grad earnings $27,331
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.11
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages
18graduates / yr
3 schools · 1 specialization · 5.4% of pipeline
Grad earnings $48,355
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.12
Classics and Classical Languages
18graduates / yr
2 schools · 2 specializations · 5.4% of pipeline
Grad earnings
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.04
Slavic
6graduates / yr
2 schools · 1 specialization · 1.8% of pipeline
Grad earnings $60,240
Education
CIP 13.13
Teacher Education and Professional Development
5graduates / yr
3 schools · 1 specialization · 1.5% of pipeline
Grad earnings $43,033
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.05
Germanic Languages
5graduates / yr
3 schools · 1 specialization · 1.5% of pipeline
Grad earnings $44,390
Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
CIP 16.08
Iranian/Persian Languages
2graduates / yr
1 schools · 1 specialization · 0.6% of pipeline
Grad earnings

17 programs in Maryland that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Maryland (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Maryland page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 16.0905In Maryland
79
23.9%
10$34,541$22,748
2
CIP 16.9999In Maryland
51
15.4%
1$34,944$24,828
3
CIP 16.0101In Maryland
46
13.9%
4$27,449$20,824
4
CIP 16.1601In Maryland
29
8.8%
4$32,695$25,209
5
CIP 16.0301In Maryland
23
6.9%
3$27,331$20,685
6
CIP 16.0102In Maryland
21
6.3%
1$27,449$20,824
7
CIP 16.1101In Maryland
18
5.4%
3$48,355$15,526
8
CIP 16.0901In Maryland
17
5.1%
5$34,541$22,748
9
CIP 16.1200In Maryland
15
4.5%
2$22,560
10
CIP 16.0900In Maryland
7
2.1%
2$34,541$22,748
11
CIP 16.0402In Maryland
6
1.8%
2$60,240$5,500
12
CIP 13.1330In Maryland
5
1.5%
3$43,033$26,044
13
CIP 16.0501In Maryland
5
1.5%
3$44,390$23,202
14
CIP 16.0302In Maryland
3
0.9%
2$27,331$20,685
15
CIP 16.1203In Maryland
3
0.9%
1$22,560
16
CIP 16.0801In Maryland
2
0.6%
1
17
CIP 16.0303In Maryland
1
0.3%
1$27,331$20,685

Top 19 schools in Maryland

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 2 of the 19 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD Public · 11 feeder programs
91Spanish Language and Literature$39,51689%45%
2University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
65Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other33%
3University of Maryland - Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD Public · 9 feeder programs
62Foreign Languages and Literatures, General$23,74270%72%
4United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
18Chinese Language and Literature93%9%
5Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
14Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General94%$11,8886%
6Montgomery College
Rockville, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
12American Sign Language (ASL)32%
7McDaniel College
Westminster, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
11American Sign Language (ASL)63%$18,98878%
8Hood College
Frederick, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
10Spanish Language and Literature57%$23,24478%
9Towson University
Towson, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
10Foreign Languages and Literatures, General69%82%
10Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
9Spanish Language and Literature68%87%
11Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD Public · 2 feeder programs
7American Sign Language (ASL)31%
12St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
5Foreign Languages and Literatures, General70%69%
13Frederick Community College
Frederick, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
4American Sign Language (ASL)37%
14Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
4Latin Language and Literature79%$26,58575%
15Goucher College
Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
3Spanish Language and Literature57%$22,66778%
16Allegany College of Maryland
Cumberland, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
2Spanish Language and Literature40%
17Prince George's Community College
Largo, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
2Spanish Language Teacher Education18%
18Chesapeake College
Wye Mills, MD Public · 1 feeder programs
1Spanish Language Teacher Education35%
19Mount St. Mary's University
Emmitsburg, MD Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Foreign Languages and Literatures, General65%$23,13674%

All 19 schools in Maryland

Every school in Maryland with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Maryland that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Maryland - College ParkCollege ParkPublic9111
University of Maryland Global CampusAdelphiPublic652
University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimorePublic629
United States Naval AcademyAnnapolisPublic182
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimorePrivate not-for-profit143
Montgomery CollegeRockvillePublic122
McDaniel CollegeWestminsterPrivate not-for-profit111
Hood CollegeFrederickPrivate not-for-profit102
Towson UniversityTowsonPublic102
Salisbury UniversitySalisburyPublic92
Anne Arundel Community CollegeArnoldPublic72
St. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's CityPublic51
Frederick Community CollegeFrederickPublic41
Loyola University MarylandBaltimorePrivate not-for-profit42
Goucher CollegeBaltimorePrivate not-for-profit32

What foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary earn in Maryland

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Maryland
$87,280
Mean annual
$94,620
Jobs in state
280
What the range looks like
10th pct$51,920Median$87,28090th pct$131,060
Versus the national median
+10.0%

U.S. median $79,350. Maryland pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
0.78×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Maryland

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$78,520median
140 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-0.2%
Little or no change
Openings per year
1,900
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
0
26,400 → 26,400
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary page.

How to become a Foreign Language

Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Top skills

SpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingLearning StrategiesActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Maryland

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 25 majors mapped to Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary18 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 13.1306Foreign Language Teacher Education
  • 13.1325French Language Teacher Education
  • 13.1326German Language Teacher Education
  • 13.1330Spanish Language Teacher Education
  • 13.1333Latin Teacher Education
  • 16.0101Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
  • 16.0102Linguistics
  • 16.0103Language Interpretation and Translation
  • 16.0105Applied Linguistics
  • 16.0201African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • 16.0300East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • 16.0301Chinese Language and Literature
  • 16.0302Japanese Language and Literature
  • 16.0303Korean Language and Literature
  • 16.0304Tibetan Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0399East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
  • 16.0400Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
  • 16.0401Baltic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0402Russian Language and Literature
  • 16.0404Albanian Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0405Bulgarian Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0406Czech Language and Literature(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0407Polish Language and Literature
  • 16.0408Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures(no graduates reported)
  • 16.0409Slovak Language and Literature(no graduates reported)

Common questions

Answers for people weighing foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary programs in Maryland.

What degree do you need to become a Foreign Language?+

Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Spanish Language and Literature, which awarded 79 degrees in Maryland in 2024-25, 23.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Foreign Language?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 17 programs to this occupation. The largest are Romance Languages, Linguistic, Foreign Languages, American Sign Language, plus 7 more. Together they graduate about 331 people a year in Maryland.

How much do foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary earn in Maryland?+

The median is $87,280 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 10.0% above the U.S. median of $79,350. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary growing?+

BLS projects a -0.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, little or no change, with roughly 1,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Maryland?+

19 institutions in Maryland reported graduates from at least one of the 17 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do foreign language and literature teachers, postsecondary work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, French Professor, Spanish Professor, Spanish Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1124.

Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary in other statesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkPennsylvaniaUtahWisconsinOhioGeorgia

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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