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

21 Ranked Colleges
4,885 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Child development Schools in California 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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 32,920 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,885 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in early childhood education. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality early childhood education programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Early Childhood Education (Income $0-$30k) in California

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Early Childhood Education at California State University - Los Angeles

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 511 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. It costs about $4,590 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at California State University - Fullerton

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Sacramento. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 479 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Early Childhood Education Report

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 400 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUN has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,266 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.

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%.

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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 142 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUB also took the #12 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,238 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full CSUB Early Childhood Education Report

6

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Fresno State is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 83 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Fresno State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,859 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 87%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at California State University - Fresno

7

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,657 for california 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%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Early Childhood Education Report

8
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 209 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at San Diego State University

9
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 226 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $12,158 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Early Childhood Education Report

10

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 78 ’s child development degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 9 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,985 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California State University - San Bernardino

12
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.

SFSU also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $10,705 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at SFSU

13

California State University - San Marcos came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 118 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,397 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSM Early Childhood Education Report

14

California State University - Chico ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s child development degrees to 76 students in 2020-2021.

Chico State also made our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $11,754 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Chico State

15

With a ranking of #15, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

16

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 13 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california child development students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $9,975 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Cal State East Bay Early Childhood Education Report

17
18

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Stockton, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Humphreys University, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,111 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses Early Childhood Education Report

19
Brandman crest
Brandman University
Irvine, California

Brandman University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 62 diplomas to qualified ’s child development students in 2020-2021.

Brandman also took the #11 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandman is $27,866 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 more about Early Childhood Education at Brandman University

20
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Baptist is a private not-for-profit institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 76 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Baptist did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Baptist is $21,769 for California Child development students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Cal Baptist

21
MSMU crest
Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #21, Mount Saint Mary’s University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Child development Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 4 ’s child development degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSMU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Early Childhood Education Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $29,531 for california child development students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at MSMU

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