2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Great Lakes Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 the Great Lakes region, there were 4,088 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,963 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 81 colleges that offer a degree in early childhood education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent early childhood education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 10 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
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%.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at UW - Whitewater
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Northwest. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Full Purdue University Northwest Early Childhood Education Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at UW - Stevens Point
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Menomonie, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout also took the #18 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stout Early Childhood Education Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Early Childhood Education Report
Illinois State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 63 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
National Louis University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 132 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for National Louis University is $14,957 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at National Louis University
Western Michigan University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
With a ranking of #12, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 36 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Full Eastern Michigan University Early Childhood Education Report
University of Southern Indiana came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 25 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students per year to attend USI.
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%.
Wright State University - Lake Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Celina, Ohio, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,099 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Wright State University - Lake Campus
Youngstown State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 11 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Youngstown State University
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 17 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #17, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,077 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Northeastern Illinois University
Cleveland State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Cleveland State University
Mount Vernon Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. MVNU is a small school located in Mount Vernon, Ohio that handed out 19 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $20,282 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students per year to attend MVNU.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Central Michigan University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Child development students.
Lake Superior State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Lake Superior State University
Chicago State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,733 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students per year to attend CSU.
The 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.
With a ranking of #24, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 141 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 59 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree child development students.
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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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Vgrigas.
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