2026 Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Kentucky
Early Childhood Education is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for early childhood education students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Early Childhood Education in Kentucky
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the early childhood education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Early Childhood Education
Leading the list is University Of Kentucky, our #1 school for early childhood education. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public institution. Roughly 71% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 10 early childhood education students who graduated with this degree at University Of Kentucky in the most recent data year. Students who receive their early childhood education degree from University Of Kentucky earn around $42,048 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Kentucky graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from University Of Kentucky
Students looking for a strong early childhood education program will find one at Murray State University, which ranked #2. This large public university is located in the town of Murray. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. Murray State University awarded about 21 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Murray State University generally make around $40,669. Students borrow a median of $22,324 to complete this degree.
See the full early childhood education program report for Murray State University
A rank of #3 makes University Of The Cumberlands one of the top schools for early childhood education. Located in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 50% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of The Cumberlands awarded about 54 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $38,571 in their early career. University Of The Cumberlands graduates carry a median of $22,782 in student loans.
See the full early childhood education program report for University Of The Cumberlands
Western Kentucky University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best early childhood education schools. Set in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public institution. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 25 early childhood education students who graduated with this degree at Western Kentucky University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $41,250 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from Western Kentucky University
Campbellsville University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #5 spot this year. Campbellsville University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Campbellsville. Roughly 42% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 38 early childhood education students who graduated with this degree at Campbellsville University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $36,469 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,125.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from Campbellsville University
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 graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- 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.
