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 6,456 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 47% 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 been stable over the past 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 (238) , ESL Teacher (199) , Online English Teacher (199) , Sales Coordinator (137) , Sales (74) , Activity Leader (73) , Online ESL Teacher (67) , Sales Consultant (63) , Manager (61) , Educational Tour Consultant (46) , Marketing (42) , EF Activity Leader (40) , Sales Associate (40)

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

"The company is great for people right out of college and that have an interest in education and travel." ((in 413 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 211 reviews)); "Great benefits and travel opportunities." ((in 163 reviews)); "Fun work environment and coworkers." ((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 601 reviews)); "Employees are generally over worked and have an incredible amount of work for such a low salary." ((in 509 reviews)); "Poor management and lack of decisiveness from managers that have been stagnating in their roles for too many years." ((in 321 reviews)); "There can be long hours and you get told no on the phone quite often." ((in 159 reviews)); "Bad manager leading the country" ((in 123 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

(4,610 total reviews)

Edward Hult, Ph.D

61% approve of CEO

47% 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 4,610 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

2.0

Feb 5, 2026

The "Culture" does not outweigh the lack of pay and work-life balance

Matching specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Nice space to work in, young people

Cons

low pay, overworked, zero work life balance

EF (Education First) Response

4mo

Appreciate you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear you appreciated the workspace and the people you worked alongside, building a vibrant culture is something we truly value. We’re sorry to hear about your concerns regarding compensation and work-life balance. Supporting our colleagues potential and ability to have real impact requires the right balance, and while positive feedback is always nice, we learn just as much from constructive perspectives like yours. We review our compensation packages regularly to ensure they are benchmarked with industry standards, and feedback like this helps inform those conversations. Again, thanks for your review.

5.0

Feb 5, 2026

Purpose-driven, international company with great people and strong growth opportunities

Chief of staff

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

EF is a truly international, mission-driven company with a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The people are passionate, smart, and deeply committed to creating life-changing educational experiences. There is real exposure to global projects, senior leadership, and cross-regional collaboration, which offer excellent learning and development opportunities. The Zurich office is dynamic and diverse, with a strong culture of ownership and trust. EF invests heavily in leadership development and gives employees opportunities to grow, take on responsibility, and drive meaningful transformation initiatives. EF is a great place to work if you are motivated by purpose, enjoy a fast-paced international environment, and want real responsibility and growth. You’ll learn a lot, work with inspiring people, and contribute to something meaningful.

Cons

Like many fast-growing, global organizations, the pace can be intense and priorities can shift quickly. It’s best suited for people who thrive in dynamic environments and are comfortable with change.

EF (Education First) Response

4mo

What a thoughtful reflection on your time with us in Zürich! It’s great to read and to see these values championed through your work as Chief of Staff, especially the exposure, trust, and growth opportunities that have been meaningful for you over the years. Thanks for taking the time to write this so others considering a career at EF can get a clearer sense of what to expect.

5.0

Feb 5, 2026

Great people, beautiful office, lots of responsibility early on

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very international company with good opportunities to grow your career internally. You get a lot of responsibility quite early, as well as autonomy to run your projects and real chances to make an impact. The office is beautiful and there’s a strong community feeling. Many activities during the year like summer and Christmas parties, monthly gatherings, access to free gym, Kita is available in the building at a cost, and there's free coffee. People are friendly and management is very approachable. It feels easy to talk to people and have informal conversations regardless of their seniority. There are good development opportunities, especially if you're proactive and work on building your network.

Cons

It’s a fast-paced environment with a focus on being outgoing and extroverted. Not a negative, but it’s something to consider depending on your personality. There is a strong preference for working from the office. On the positive side, the office is gorgeous!

EF (Education First) Response

4mo

Thanks so much for sharing. Especially with 10 years here, it's a great perspective to share with others who might be considering working here. Everything you mentioned, from the opportunities to grow and beautiful offices, to great community events and openness of leadership, are aspects we have heard time and time again as positives of working at EF. Thanks again for taking the time to write about it!

Viewing 73 - 75 of 4,610 Reviews

Jobs at EF (Education First)

Sales Support Coordinator

Sales Support Coordinator

Summer Activity Leader