2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Rhode Island
[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for early childhood education students.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Rhode Island
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the early childhood education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Community College Of Rhode Island the best value for a degree in early childhood education in Rhode Island. Located in the city of Warwick, Community College Of Rhode Island is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $5,550 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,834. Students borrow a median of $13,940 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $39,680. Set against $13,940 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Rhode Island College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #2 spot this year. Rhode Island College is a large public school located in the suburb of Providence. Students from in state pay about $11,300 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $27,299. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $27,973. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $42,119. That is a strong return on a $27,973 median debt. Rhode Island College admits about 92% of applicants.
University Of Rhode Island came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,942, while out-of-state students pay about $37,146. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $24,026 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island generally make around $44,363. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Salve Regina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,100. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $43,356. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 68%.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
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 · 4 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.
