Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in California

21 Ranked Colleges
4,193 Degrees Awarded
$12,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor's in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking.

Early Childhood Education is the 34th most popular major in the country with 31,017 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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” ranking looked at 21 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in California”.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.

Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in California

#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 #1 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 352 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

CSUN also took the #4 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for california bachelor’s degree child development students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Early Childhood Education Report

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - 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 #1 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Marcos landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students list, CSUSM has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

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%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Early Childhood Education Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 479 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

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%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Sac State

#5

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State Early Childhood Education Report

#8 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Early Childhood Education Report

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 96 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Fresno State Early Childhood Education Report

#5 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#10 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 197 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at San Francisco State University

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 72 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

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 more about Early Childhood Education at Chico State

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 385 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Early Childhood Education Report

#13

Brandman University

Irvine, California
#7 in overall quality

Brandman University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Brandman University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 51 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandman, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman is $21,604 for california bachelor’s degree child development students.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Brandman University

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 194 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.

CSUDH also took the #17 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#14 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 157 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree child development students.

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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at SDSU

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Stan State

#17

National University

La Jolla, California
#9 in overall quality

National University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students list, National University has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at National University

#18

Pacific Oaks College

Pasadena, California
#18 in overall quality

Pacific Oaks College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Pacific Oaks College is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 61 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students list, Pacific Oaks College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Pacific Oaks College

#21 in overall quality

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

Humphreys University also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Humphreys University is $11,055 for California Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

#15 in overall quality

Vanguard University of Southern California came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Vanguard is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

Vanguard also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard is $20,051 for california bachelor’s degree child development students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Vanguard University of Southern California

#21

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California Baptist University is a fairly large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree child development students list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend California Baptist University.

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 Cal Baptist Early Childhood Education Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Teacher Education Schools

Find Schools Near You