2027 Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Missouri
Early Childhood Education degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their early childhood education programs.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for early childhood education students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Early Childhood Education in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall early childhood education education in Missouri.
Top Schools in Early Childhood Education
Leading the list is University Of Missouri Columbia, our #1 school for early childhood education. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. University Of Missouri Columbia graduates 75% of students within six years. University Of Missouri Columbia awarded about 25 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $37,302 in their early career. University Of Missouri Columbia graduates carry a median of $20,867 in student loans.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from University Of Missouri Columbia
A rank of #2 makes University Of Central Missouri one of the top schools for early childhood education. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. University Of Central Missouri graduates 54% of students within six years. University Of Central Missouri awarded about 31 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Early Childhood Education graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $38,947 early in their careers. University Of Central Missouri graduates carry a median of $24,199 in student loans.
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Southeast Missouri State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #3 spot this year. Southeast Missouri State University is a large public school located in the city of Cape Girardeau. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 30 early childhood education degrees were awarded at Southeast Missouri State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $37,061 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $22,995 to complete this degree.
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Students looking for a strong early childhood education program will find one at Missouri State University Springfield, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. About 58% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 43 early childhood education students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State University Springfield in the most recent data year. Students who receive their early childhood education degree from Missouri State University Springfield earn around $37,907 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from Missouri State University Springfield
Northwest Missouri State University came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best early childhood education schools. Located in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. Northwest Missouri State University awarded about 54 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $37,066 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from Northwest Missouri State University
Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best early childhood education schools. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. There were roughly 36 early childhood education students who graduated with this degree at Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies in the most recent data year. Graduates of the early childhood education program make about $32,393 in their early career. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies graduates carry a median of $20,431 in student loans.
See the full early childhood education program report for Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies
Missouri Western State University came in at #7 for early childhood education this year. This mid-sized public university is located in the city of Saint Joseph. The six-year graduation rate is 39%. Missouri Western State University awarded about 13 early childhood education degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their early childhood education degree from Missouri Western State University earn around $33,695 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $21,352.
More information about a degree in early childhood education from Missouri Western State University
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 7 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.
