Is EF (Education First) a good company to work for?

EF (Education First) has an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, based on over 6,464 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. 61% of employees would recommend working at EF (Education First) to a friend and 48% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about EF (Education First) have been left by employees working as Sales Manager , Director and Intern .

Does EF (Education First) pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, EF (Education First) employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at EF (Education First). This rating has improved by 1% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at EF (Education First)?

61% of EF (Education First) employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated EF (Education First) 3.2 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.7 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at EF (Education First)?

English Teacher (293) , Teacher (246) , Tour Consultant (240) , Online English Teacher (199) , ESL Teacher (198) , Sales Coordinator (137) , Activity Leader (74) , Sales (74) , Online ESL Teacher (67) , Sales Consultant (63) , Manager (61) , Educational Tour Consultant (46) , Marketing (42) , Director (41) , EF Activity Leader (40)

What are the pros of working at EF (Education First) according to real employee reviews?

"Met some great people and walked away from each class with a smile on my face." ((in 421 reviews)); "Overall really great culture and very easy to feel welcome!" ((in 332 reviews)); "Colleagues are great and share similar values for the most part." ((in 221 reviews)); "Great benefits and travel opportunities." ((in 173 reviews)); "The team has been great and so open to teaching you everything you need to know and more." ((in 113 reviews))

What are the cons of working at EF (Education First) according to real employee reviews?

"You'll be doing a lot of work for low pay and have no life outside of EF." ((in 608 reviews)); "Employees are generally over worked and have an incredible amount of work for such a low salary." ((in 502 reviews)); "Poor management and lack of decisiveness from managers that have been stagnating in their roles for too many years." ((in 306 reviews)); "There can be long hours and you get told no on the phone quite often." ((in 151 reviews)); "Bad manager leading the country" ((in 125 reviews))

What are employees saying about EF (Education First) layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about EF (Education First) layoffs and their outlook for job security at EF (Education First) in 2026.

What are the top reviewed EF (Education First) locations?

Boston , Cambridge , Denver , Tarrytown , San Diego , Austin , New York , San Francisco , Thornwood , Santa Barbara , Miami , Chicago , Miami Beach , Brighton , Los Angeles , Washington , Honolulu , Atlanta , China , Redondo Beach , Remote , Long Beach , Pasadena , Monterey , China Grove , Dallas , Houston , Seattle , Portland , Baltimore

EF (Education First) reviews

3.4

61% would recommend to a friend

(4,616 total reviews)

Edward Hult, Ph.D

62% approve of CEO

48% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

EF (Education First) has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 4,616 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The EF (Education First) employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Education industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

5K reviews

3.0

Oct 28, 2025

N/A

Customer success specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Free international travel opportunities every year.

Cons

No communication from upper management. Constant layoffs.

EF (Education First) Response

8mo

Appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear you liked the travel opportunities during your time at EF. At the same time we’re sorry to hear your concerns about communication and recent organizational changes—feedback like yours is important as we continue to review our ways of working. If you’d like to share more, please reach out to hr@ef.com.

4.0

Oct 23, 2025

Great place to work

Graphic designer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing colleagues and work life balance.

Cons

I liked working at the company and don’t have negative feedback.

EF (Education First) Response

8mo

Great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience in the EF Zürich office.

5.0

Oct 23, 2025

Changing Lives

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Being a part of a fast paced global company that focuses on changing lives through educational travel. Seeing students grow daily is the best feeling in the world! You learn a lot in a short amount of time and with the proper support of management, youre able to see a clear pathway for your career. Being a problem solver and flexible is really important

Cons

Summers are tough but rewarding. More flexibility on salaries or financial bonuses would be appreciated.

EF (Education First) Response

8mo

Thank you for leaving a review. We’re so glad to hear you’ve found your work at EF both rewarding and meaningful. You’ve touched on two things that truly set EF apart—the real, lasting impact we have in transforming lives through educational travel, and the limitless potential for career growth when paired with the right support and mindset. It’s inspiring to hear that you see the difference our mission makes every day and that you’ve found opportunities to learn and grow along the way. We also appreciate your note on compensation and understand that summers can be particularly busy. Thank you for your dedication and for helping us make a lasting difference in the lives of our students and travelers.

Viewing 142 - 144 of 4,616 Reviews

Jobs at EF (Education First)

Bilingual Account Manager

Tour Consultant, Group Sales

Digital Product Manager