College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

491 Ranked Colleges
32,920 Degrees Awarded
$4,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Early Childhood Education is the 34th most popular major in the country with 32,920 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 491 colleges that offered a degree in early childhood education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent early childhood education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the early childhood education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Early Childhood Education Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Child development Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k)

1
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.

Hunter also claimed a top spot on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $396 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Hunter College Early Childhood Education Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #8 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Early Childhood Education Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

UF excels when it comes to child development quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at University of Florida

5
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

Out of the 491 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brooklyn College landed the #5 spot on the list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 146 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Brooklyn College is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brooklyn College Early Childhood Education Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 115 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

7

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, USF Tampa is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,176 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at USF Tampa

8
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #8, Lehman College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lehman is $881 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Lehman College Early Childhood Education Report

9
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 50 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, QC also did well on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for QC is $1,344 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at QC

10
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The City College of New York is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 69 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $1,254 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at CCNY

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It costs about $5,995 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue Early Childhood Education Report

12

University of Central Florida ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 103 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $4,468 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Central Florida

13
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 170 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It costs about $8,303 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at University of Georgia

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 116 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15
Urban College of Boston crest
Urban College of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Urban College of Boston ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Urban College of Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 101 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Urban College of Boston is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Urban College of Boston is $12,714 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Urban College of Boston

16

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 384 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California State University - Los Angeles

17

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $7,698 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

18

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 66 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe also took the #13 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,969 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Early Childhood Education Report

19
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Central New Mexico Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. CNM is a fairly large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 58 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CNM is also in the top of our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CNM is $1,994 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Central New Mexico Community College

20

With a ranking of #20, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 240 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $3,196 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Florida International University

21

California State University - Fullerton landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 511 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton excels when it comes to child development quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California State University - Fullerton

22
TCNJ crest
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey

The College of New Jersey ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. TCNJ is located in Ewing, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TCNJ, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TCNJ is $14,273 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at TCNJ

23

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,073 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU - I.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at BYU - I

24
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 270 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,200 for Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at South Texas College

25
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. CWU is located in Ellensburg, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CWU, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CWU is $10,796 for child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Central Washington University Early Childhood Education Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
27
28
Towson crest
Towson University
Towson, Maryland
29
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
30
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
31
32
33
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas
34
35
36
WGU crest
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, Utah
37
38
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
39
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
40
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana
40
42
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida
43
44
45
Converse crest
Converse College
Spartanburg, South Carolina
46
47
Atlanta Area Tech crest
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, Georgia
48
49
Albany Technical College crest
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia
50
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Child development Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
52 Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA
53 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
54 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
55 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
56 Utah State University Logan, UT
57 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
58 West Georgia Technical College Waco, GA
59 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
60 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
61 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
62 Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC
63 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
64 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
65 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
Rank College Location
66 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
67 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
68 Palo Alto College San Antonio, TX
69 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
70 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
71 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
72 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA
73 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, NC
74 Miami Dade College Miami, FL

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options