Texas·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-3011

Best Adult Basic Education programs in Texas, ranked by enrollment

Teach or instruct out-of-school youths and adults in basic education, literacy, or English as a Second Language classes, or in classes for earning a high school equivalency.

20 schools in Texas run programs that feed this job, graduating 225 people a year. The job pays a median of $49,490 in Texas across about 1,830 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledTeacherAdult Basic Education Instructor (ABE Instructor)ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)GED Instructor (General Educational Development Instructor)InstructorAdult EducatorLiteracy CoachEnglish Teacher
Graduates / yr
225
in Texas
Median pay · Texas
$49,490
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
1,830
people employed
Schools
20
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
51%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,036
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Texas that lead to this job

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

6 programs in Texas that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Texas (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 Texas page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 13.0201In Texas
122
54.2%
13$56,738$19,664
2
CIP 13.1201In Texas
57
25.3%
4$41,127$25,500
3
CIP 13.1401In Texas
38
16.9%
7$36,305$26,250
4
CIP 13.0202In Texas
5
2.2%
1$56,738$19,664
5
CIP 13.1502In Texas
2
0.9%
1$22,920$9,500
6
CIP 13.0299In Texas
1
0.4%
1$56,738$19,664

Top 20 schools in Texas

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 2 of the 20 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Texas A&M University - College Station
College Station, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
50Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching84%57%
2The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
24Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor53%87%
3Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
18Bilingual and Multilingual Education$55,46746%44%
4Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
18Bilingual and Multilingual Education49%96%
5The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
16Bilingual and Multilingual Education50%100%
6Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
15Bilingual and Multilingual Education42%91%
7Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
14Bilingual and Multilingual Education69%73%
8Texas A&M University - Victoria
Victoria, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
11Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching26%96%
9Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
10Bilingual and Multilingual Education$56,73832%$21,03669%
10Texas A&M University - San Antonio
San Antonio, TX Public · 2 feeder programs
8Multicultural Education40%93%
11The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
8Bilingual and Multilingual Education51%94%
12Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
7Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor55%90%
13Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
5Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor40%89%
14The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
5Bilingual and Multilingual Education40%95%
15Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
4Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor46%$18,564
16Texas State University
San Marcos, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
4Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching55%89%
17Nelson University
Waxahachie, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
3Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor42%$19,79089%
18University of North Texas
Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder programs
3Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor61%72%
19Houston Christian University
Houston, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor49%$21,24784%
20Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Bilingual and Multilingual Education86%$25,82344%

All 20 schools in Texas

Every school in Texas 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 Texas that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Texas A&M University - College StationCollege StationPublic502
The University of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioPublic242
Texas A & M International UniversityLaredoPublic181
Texas Woman's UniversityDentonPublic181
The University of Texas at El PasoEl PasoPublic161
Texas A&M University - KingsvilleKingsvillePublic152
Texas Tech UniversityLubbockPublic142
Texas A&M University - VictoriaVictoriaPublic111
Texas Wesleyan UniversityFort WorthPrivate not-for-profit102
Texas A&M University - San AntonioSan AntonioPublic82
The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburgPublic81
Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsvillePublic71
Texas A & M University - Corpus ChristiCorpus ChristiPublic51
The University of Texas Permian BasinOdessaPublic51
Our Lady of the Lake UniversitySan AntonioPrivate not-for-profit42

What adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors earn in Texas

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

Median annual in Texas
$49,490
Mean annual
$53,480
Jobs in state
1,830
What the range looks like
10th pct$38,640Median$49,49090th pct$63,790
Versus the national median
-19.6%

U.S. median $61,540. Texas pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.54×

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

Metro areas in Texas

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$62,340median
480 jobs
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$61,760median
240 jobs
Corpus Christi, TX
$51,790median
90 jobs
Laredo, TX
$49,550median
40 jobs
Lubbock, TX
$52,000median
30 jobs
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
$49,010median
110 jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$45,330median
320 jobs
El Paso, TX
$46,850median
80 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-13.7%
Decline
Openings per year
3,900
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
-5,600
40,900 → 35,300
Typical entry education
Bachelor's 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 Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors page.

How to become a Adult Basic Education

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingLearning StrategiesWritingMonitoring

The same job in other states

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

Related careers in Texas

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 8 majors mapped to Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 13.0201Bilingual and Multilingual Education
  • 13.0202Multicultural Education
  • 13.0299Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Other
  • 13.1201Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
  • 13.1401Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
  • 13.1402Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language(no graduates reported)
  • 13.1499Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Other
  • 13.1502Adult Literacy Tutor/Instructor

Common questions

Answers for people weighing adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors programs in Texas.

What degree do you need to become an Adult Basic Education?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Bilingual and Multilingual Education, which awarded 122 degrees in Texas in 2024-25, 54.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Adult Basic Education?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Bilingual, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language, Teaching Assistants/Aides. Together they graduate about 225 people a year in Texas.

How much do adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors earn in Texas?+

The median is $49,490 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 19.6% below the U.S. median of $61,540. 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 adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors growing?+

BLS projects a -13.7% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 3,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

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

20 institutions in Texas reported graduates from at least one of the 6 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 adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructors work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Teacher, Adult Basic Education Instructor (ABE Instructor), ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor), GED Instructor (General Educational Development Instructor) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-3011.

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors in other statesNew YorkIndianaUtahIdahoMichiganCaliforniaArizonaPennsylvania

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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