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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k)

402 Ranked Colleges
13,068 Degrees Awarded
$4,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 31,017 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 13,068 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 402 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in early childhood education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality early childhood education programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Vanderbilt

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 98 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #8 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Early Childhood Education Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 158 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #3 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at UW Seattle

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $320 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Hunter

#6

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 89 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Brooklyn College is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $1,106 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Brooklyn College

Top 10% in overall quality

Florida International University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 208 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full FIU Early Childhood Education Report

#18 in overall quality

University of Central Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCF Early Childhood Education Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 518 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at California State University - Fullerton

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 385 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Early Childhood Education Report

Top 15% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at USF Tampa

#12

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The City College of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $704 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The City College of New York.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at CCNY

#13

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Indiana University - Bloomington

#14

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 17 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,483 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Purdue University - Main Campus

#15

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

Towson University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Towson, Maryland, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Towson also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $9,206 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Towson University.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Towson University

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 38 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Early Childhood Education Report

#17

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

University of North Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Florida is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNF is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,097 for bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNF.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UNF Early Childhood Education Report

Top 10% in overall quality

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 352 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSUN is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,945 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at California State University - Northridge

#19

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Georgia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at UGA

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, CSUB is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,423 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Early Childhood Education Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#22

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 22 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UMN Twin Cities also did well on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#23

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Florida

Florida State College at Jacksonville ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. FSCJ is a large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 19 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FSCJ is $2,126 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Florida State College at Jacksonville

California State University - Fresno came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Fresno State

#25

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
Top 20% in overall quality

Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, FGCU is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $7,824 for Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Florida Gulf Coast University

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#28

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
#29

Heritage University

Toppenish, Washington
#30

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#30

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#32

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland
#36

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#38

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#39

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#40

Miami Dade College

Miami, Florida
#41

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#42

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
#44

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#45

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#46

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#48

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#50

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Delaware Newark, DE
52 Minot State University Minot, ND
53 Louisiana State University - Shreveport Shreveport, LA
54 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
55 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
56 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
57 Northwest Florida State College Niceville, FL
58 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
59 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
60 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
61 San Jose State University San Jose, CA

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.

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