Top 65 Programs for Early Childhood Education Bachelor's Degrees

For those who are interested in teaching young children, the first step is to earn a bachelor’s degree. It may very well be easier than once thought, for the student who already has a school in mind, maybe their parent’s alma mater. However, for those students who aren’t sure where to start or don’t know which schools offer the best options for their early childhood education bachelor’s degree, Discover Early Childhood EDU has released a new rankings report for the best early childhood education bachelor’s degree programs in the US.

The researchers for these rankings reviewed many colleges with degrees specializing in early childhood education. The main focus was on the availability of different degree programs that are both affordable and high quality. There was also a focus on finding these programs throughout the US so that students would not feel they had to move halfway across the country just to find a program.

Though these rankings were created to provide early childhood education students the best colleges for consideration, it’s important to note that, ultimately, students must find the best university and degree program to fit their specific needs. That may or may not line up perfectly with these rankings, but hopefully, students will find enough information to make the best, most educated decision possible.

Ranking System

The ratings system used for this list is a proprietary formula and includes many data points to allow the list to be as comprehensive as possible. The following are just some of the data points used, what they are, and why they matter.

First, there is the retention rate. Retention rates allow students to see how many of those who attended the school before them found the instruction offered to be up to par and decided to return rather than transfer to another school. Another data point used is the graduation rate. Graduation rate measures the colleges ability to not only retain students past the first year, but also demonstrates that the university or college has enough structure, support, and resources in place to ensure their students succeed in graduating within the typical four to six years. Then there is the cost of the education to attend a specific college or university. While the choice of which school to attend should not hang solely on the cost of the education, it is important to take cost into account, especially when most students already have to take out loans in order to finance their education.

Other criteria Discover Early Childhood EDU researches used to develop this rankings list was graduates average salary, the student acceptance rate, and the availability of online programs. It is important to determine how many students are being accepted, how many are graduating within six years of starting at the college, and the average salary of students after they receive a diploma. This is indicative of how many graduates from a specific school find success after graduating; it can mean that there is a high level of post-graduate support or that the school is recognized by employers and creating worthwhile employees. Online programs are becoming more ubiquitous and important as well; knowing whether or not a school is moving forward and improving their class offerings by including online educational formats can tell you if you’re going to be earning the most state-of-the-art education possible.

Some of the top schools offering early childhood education bachelor’s degrees that made the list are Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, University of Georgia, Indiana University at Bloomington, Pennsylvania State University, Arizona State University, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University, Georgia State University, and Northern Arizona University. Prospective students can check out all 65 of the best colleges with a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education program.

Discover Early Childhood Edu

This ranking will be published on the Discover Early Childhood EDU website, which offers far more information for any student interested in teaching or being involved in early childhood education. The information provided here covers certification and how to become a teacher by state, associate through master’s degrees, details on a variety of careers in early childhood education including administration, scholarships, salaries, and much more. Anyone interested in getting into early childhood education or moving into a higher level position through education should check out the information on this site.