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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in California

25 Ranked Colleges
4,131 Degrees Awarded
$26,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Child development Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2021-2022, 31,937 people earned their degree in early childhood education, making the major the 34th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,861 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,131 early childhood education graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in early childhood education. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in early childhood education.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Early Childhood Education Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree child development students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Early Childhood Education in California

1
AJU crest
American Jewish University
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, American Jewish University landed the #1 spot on the list. American Jewish University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 2 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 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full AJU Early Childhood Education Report

2
Pacific Oaks College crest
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, California

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pacific Oaks College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 61 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Pacific Oaks College

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Arizona Global Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California. The University of Arizona Global Campus is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 660 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Arizona Global Campus Early Childhood Education Report

4

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 436 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

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 full report on Early Childhood Education at Sac State

5

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 391 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

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

6

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 243 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. CSUB is a medium-sized public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 151 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Early Childhood Education Report

8

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 530 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Early Childhood Education at Cal State Fullerton

9

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. Humphreys University is located in Stockton, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 405 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

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%.

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

11
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #11, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 258 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at San Francisco State University

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. California State University - San Marcos is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 118 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

13

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Early Childhood Education Report

14
Cal Baptist crest
California Baptist University
Riverside, California

California Baptist University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 84 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 California Baptist University

15
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

With a ranking of #15, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 211 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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 full report on Early Childhood Education at San Jose State

16
National University crest
National University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #16, National University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. National University is located in San Diego, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at National University

17
Brandman crest
Brandman University
Irvine, California

Brandman University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking, coming in at #17. Irvine, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s child development degrees to 68 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Full Brandman University Early Childhood Education Report

18

California State University - Chico landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State Early Childhood Education Report

19
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 142 degrees to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 SDSU Early Childhood Education Report

20

California State University - Fresno landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s child development students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fresno State Early Childhood Education Report

21
Bethesda crest
Bethesda University
Anaheim, California

With a ranking of #21, Bethesda University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. Bethesda University is located in Anaheim, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s child development degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Bethesda University Early Childhood Education Report

22

With a ranking of #22, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 57 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

23
PUC crest
Pacific Union College
Angwin, California

Pacific Union College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. PUC is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 0 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Pacific Union College

24

With a ranking of #24, Vanguard University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California list. Vanguard is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Vanguard

25
Fresno Pacific crest
Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, California

Fresno Pacific University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Child development Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s child development degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Early Childhood Education at Fresno Pacific University

Notes and References

References

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