2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Oregon
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 14 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value early childhood education schools.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Oregon
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in early childhood education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
Mt Hood Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools in Oregon. Located in the suburb of Gresham, Mt Hood Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,247, while out-of-state students pay about $9,819. Students borrow a median of $18,767 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Mt Hood Community College generally make around $53,948. That is a strong return on a $18,767 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Rogue Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Grants Pass, Rogue Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,256, while out-of-state students pay about $6,300. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $15,248 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $51,243. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Portland Community College one of the best values for early childhood education. Portland Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Portland. In-state tuition and fees average $5,220, compared with $10,440 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $20,648 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Portland Community College generally make around $49,580. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Columbia Gorge Community College, which ranked #4. Set in the town of The Dalles, Columbia Gorge Community College is a small public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,940, compared with $10,260 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $17,416. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Columbia Gorge Community College generally make around $78,167. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central Oregon Community College earned it the #5 place for early childhood education. Located in the city of Bend, Central Oregon Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,683 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,246. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $16,250. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $52,183. Set against $16,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Linn Benton Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Set in the city of Albany, Linn Benton Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,317 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,736 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,959 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $43,257. Set against $17,959 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Blue Mountain Community College landed the #7 spot for early childhood education value this year. Located in the town of Pendleton, Blue Mountain Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,076, compared with $9,754 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $20,615. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $25,872. Set against $20,615 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Portland State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,118, compared with $29,136 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $26,475 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Portland State University earn a median of $43,030 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,475 median debt. Portland State University admits about 91% of applicants.
Eastern Oregon University landed the #9 spot for early childhood education value this year. Located in the town of La Grande, Eastern Oregon University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,184, compared with $24,729 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of Eastern Oregon University earn a median of $48,893 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Oregon University landed the #10 spot for early childhood education value this year. Southern Oregon University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Ashland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,762, compared with $31,887 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $28,906 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Southern Oregon University generally make around $47,690. Set against $28,906 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Western Oregon University earned the #11 position for value in early childhood education this year. Western Oregon University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Monmouth. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,514, with out-of-state students paying around $32,169. Students borrow a median of $25,458 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Western Oregon University generally make around $47,690. That is a strong return on a $25,458 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
