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2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

20 Ranked Colleges
4,193 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

Across California, there were 4,724 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,193 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in early childhood education. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great early childhood education programs and cost less that 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #1 spot on the list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 518 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Cal State Fullerton

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 385 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for California 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%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Cal State LA

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 352 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at CSUN

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 114 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 194 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUDH, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at CSUDH

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california 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 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California State University - Fresno

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 479 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Early Childhood Education Report

#6 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 157 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for california 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 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Early Childhood Education Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for california 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Stan State

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#2 in overall quality

San Jose State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 248 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at San Jose State

#5 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Early Childhood Education Report

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SFSU Early Childhood Education Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Chico State

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Stockton, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Humphreys University also took the #21 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is $9,334 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Humphreys University Early Childhood Education Report

#15 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanguard has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard University of Southern California is $15,222 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Vanguard

#17

National University

La Jolla, California
#9 in overall quality

National University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 144 students in 2019-2020.

National University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Early Childhood Education Report

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 832 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $20,283 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#19

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

California Baptist University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 55 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Baptist University is $20,277 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California Baptist University Early Childhood Education Report

#20

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#7 in overall quality

Brandman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Brandman University is located in Irvine, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Brandman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,981 for california bachelor’s degree child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandman.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Brandman

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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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