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2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Alabama

[Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor](/majors/education/teaching-french-foreign-language/english-as-a-second-or-foreign-language-esl-language-instructor/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor students.

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• Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Alabama

2026 Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools in Alabama

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor Schools

1

University Of Alabama At Birmingham
Birmingham, AL

$9,098 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,162 Avg Student Debt

$54,501 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor, no school beat University Of Alabama At Birmingham this year. Set in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,098, while out-of-state students pay about $22,562. Typical student debt for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates is $26,162. Early-career teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates make about $52,702. That is a strong return on a $26,162 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.

2

The University Of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL

$12,180 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,496 Avg Student Debt

$59,221 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes The University Of Alabama one of the best values for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor. The University Of Alabama is a very large public school located in the city of Tuscaloosa. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,180, with out-of-state students paying around $34,172. Typical student debt for teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor graduates is $24,496. Soon after graduation, teaching english as a second or foreign language/esl language instructor degree recipients from The University Of Alabama generally make around $50,740. Set against $24,496 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Alabama admits about 77% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.