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2023 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

47 Ranked Colleges
1,437 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 32,920 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,437 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 47 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The child development school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,911 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Early Childhood Education Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - St Louis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 5 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $11,291 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Early Childhood Education at UMSL

3

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $14,641 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Iowa State University

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,287 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UNI Early Childhood Education Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 14 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $13,715 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Mizzou

6

Northeast Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Northeast is a medium-sized school located in Norfolk, Nebraska that handed out 23 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Northeast is $9,339 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northeast

7

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,127 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northwest

8
MSU crest
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minot, North Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

MSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $11,911 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at MSU

9
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 16 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $15,818 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Dakota Early Childhood Education Report

10

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Missouri State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $15,950 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Missouri State University - Springfield

11
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #11, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 9 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,140 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

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

Full St. Cloud State University Early Childhood Education Report

12
Southeast Missouri State University crest
Southeast Missouri State University
Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Southeast Missouri State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Southeast Missouri State University is a medium-sized school located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that handed out 48 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Southeast Missouri State University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,157 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southeast Missouri State University.

Full Southeast Missouri State University Early Childhood Education Report

13

Wichita State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 10 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

WSU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,581 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wichita State University.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at WSU

14
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Winona, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Winona State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $15,289 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Winona State University

15
UMary crest
University of Mary
Bismarck, North Dakota

University of Mary landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMary is located in Bismarck, North Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

UMary also took the #14 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary is $16,854 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at UMary

16

Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 46 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Saint Paul also took the #19 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,980 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Concordia University, Saint Paul.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Saint Paul Early Childhood Education Report

17
MLC crest
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, Minnesota

Martin Luther College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in New Ulm, Minnesota, and it awarded 23 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

MLC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,610 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Martin Luther College.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Martin Luther College Early Childhood Education Report

18
WSC crest
Wayne State College
Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Wayne, Nebraska, and it awarded 9 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

WSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,029 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WSC.

The undergrad 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 WSC Early Childhood Education Report

19
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 21 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $18,586 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Kansas.

The undergrad 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at KU

20

University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $15,768 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Missouri - Kansas City

21

Minnesota State University - Moorhead landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minnesota State University - Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 29 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

MSU Moorhead also took the #18 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $15,809 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at MSU Moorhead

22
Saint Mary crest
College of Saint Mary
Omaha, Nebraska

College of Saint Mary ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary is $9,729 for plains states region child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full College of Saint Mary Early Childhood Education Report

23
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University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Missouri is $14,267 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Central Missouri Early Childhood Education Report

24

Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Marshall, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $12,156 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Southwest Minnesota State University

25
Newman University crest
Newman University
Wichita, Kansas

Newman University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s child development degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Newman University is $18,033 for Plains States Region Child development students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Newman University

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