by our College Data Analytics Team
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value early childhood education schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the early childhood education degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in early childhood education, no school beat Honolulu Community College this year. Honolulu Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Honolulu. In-state tuition and fees average $3,174, compared with $8,310 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $10,868 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $59,006. That is a strong return on a $10,868 median debt.
University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Honolulu, University Of Hawaii At Manoa is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,186 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $34,218. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $20,548 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $55,555. Set against $20,548 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Hawaii At Manoa admits about 87% of applicants.
Chaminade University Of Honolulu is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Honolulu, Chaminade University Of Honolulu is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,874. Students borrow a median of $25,096 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Chaminade University Of Honolulu generally make around $48,383. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Chaminade University Of Honolulu admits about 91% of applicants.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.