2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 31,017 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 3,475 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s” ranking looked at 155 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.
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.
Featured schools near , edit
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 Master’s”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree child development students.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. Northwestern College is located in Orange City, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 masters’s child development degrees to qualified students.
NWC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern College are $6,340, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Northwestern College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Gordon College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s. Located in Wenham, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified masters’s child development students in 2019-2020.
Gordon College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Gordon College are $6,400.
Out of the 155 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 23 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Concordia University, Chicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, this large private for-profit school handed out 450 degrees to qualified masters’s child development students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Canyon University are $11,436.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Grand Canyon University
Out of the 155 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Concordia University, Saint Paul landed the #5 spot on the list. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 28 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Saint Paul are $8,550.
Full Concordia University, Saint Paul Early Childhood Education Report
With a ranking of #6, Worcester State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. Worcester State University is a public institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Worcester State are $5,796, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Worcester State
Concordia University, Nebraska came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking. Concordia University, Nebraska is a private not-for-profit institution located in Seward, Nebraska. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Nebraska are $8,650, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Concordia University, Nebraska Early Childhood Education Report
Freed-Hardeman University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. Henderson, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s child development degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at FHU are $10,980, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Freed-Hardeman University
Liberty University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 53 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Liberty University
Piedmont College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Demorest, Georgia, and it awarded 170 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Piedmont College are $10,660.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Piedmont College
Fitchburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Fitchburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It awarded 8 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fitchburg State are $6,012.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Fitchburg State University
Walden University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #12. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s child development degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Walden University are $10,716.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Walden University
With a ranking of #13, Thomas University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. TU is a small school located in Thomasville, Georgia that handed out 36 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Thomas University are $12,520, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Thomas University
University of West Alabama landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking. University of West Alabama is a public institution located in Livingston, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of West Alabama are $13,546, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of West Alabama Early Childhood Education Report
Capella University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #15. Capella University is a large private for-profit school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 67 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Capella University are $14,767.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Capella University
National Louis University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s 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 57 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, NLU also did well on our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NLU are $12,096.
Full National Louis University Early Childhood Education Report
Hunter College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 58 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Hunter did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Dakota came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UND also took the #15 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UND are $18,326, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of North Dakota
North Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #19. North Park is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at North Park are $14,076, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Bridgewater State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Bridgewater State are $11,397, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Bridgewater State University
Salem State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s child development degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Salem State University are $10,477, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at Salem State University
American International College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 45 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, AIC is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at American International College are $12,717, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Early Childhood Education at American International College
Louisiana Tech University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ruston, Louisiana, and it awarded 10 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Louisiana Tech are $12,690, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Louisiana Tech University
With a ranking of #24, University of North Alabama did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. UNA is a medium-sized school located in Florence, Alabama that handed out 5 masters’s child development degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNA are $13,860.
Full University of North Alabama Early Childhood Education Report
With a ranking of #25, Columbus State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Child development Schools for a Master’s list. Located in Columbus, Georgia, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified masters’s child development students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSU are $13,264, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Adult & Continuing Education
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Adult & Continuing Education
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching
Teacher Education
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Teacher Education
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods
Elementary Education
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Elementary Education
Secondary Education
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Secondary Education
Montessori Teacher Education
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Montessori Teacher Education
Online Educator/Online Teaching
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Online Educator/Online Teaching
Teacher Development & Methodology
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Teacher Development & Methodology
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Early Childhood Education Master's Degree Schools
Early Childhood Education students
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education students
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Early Childhood Education Schools
Early Childhood Education students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k)
Early Childhood Education students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $48-$75k)
Early Childhood Education students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income Over $110k)
Early Childhood Education students with family income exceeding $110k
Highest Paid Master's Degree Early Childhood Education Graduates
Early Childhood Education students
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (With Aid)
Early Childhood Education students getting aid
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $30-$48k)
Early Childhood Education students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $75-$110k)
Early Childhood Education students with family income $75-$110k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education students
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
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |