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CIP 13.1210 Education

Early Childhood Education and Teaching

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

23,820

2025 · 870 schools

International share

1.3%

320 international students

Bachelor's degrees

12,782

0.7% international

Master's degrees

3,695

2.5% international

Overview

Early Childhood Education and Teaching is a vital field that focuses on the development and education of young children, typically from birth to age eight. This stage is crucial as it lays the foundation for lifelong learning and development. The program encompasses various aspects of child development, including cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth.

Students pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching learn essential theories and practices related to child development, effective teaching strategies, and the creation of engaging learning environments. Coursework often includes topics such as child psychology, curriculum development, assessment methods, and family dynamics. Students also gain hands-on experience through internships and practical training in real classroom settings, allowing them to apply their knowledge and skills.

Graduates of this program can pursue various career paths, including preschool teachers, kindergarten teachers, childcare center directors, and educational consultants. They are equipped to work in diverse settings, such as public and private schools, childcare centers, and community programs.

Moreover, the field emphasizes the importance of promoting inclusive practices that cater to children with varying needs and backgrounds. Early Childhood Education and Teaching professionals play a critical role in advocating for children's rights and ensuring that all children have access to quality educational experiences.

Overall, this field is not only about teaching but also about nurturing young minds and fostering a love for learning that can last a lifetime. With the growing recognition of the importance of early education, professionals in this area are increasingly in demand.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates grew 526% and the international share went from 1.6% to 1.3%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
48.8%
Asian
3.7%
Hispanic
26.1%
Black
12.9%
Other
7.2%
Intl.
1.3%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 870 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#26 University of Virginia-Main Campus Virginia 2 0
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 112 1
#31 Boston College Massachusetts 6 1
#31 New York University New York 15 4
#34 University of Florida Florida 1 0
#34 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois 46 2
#34 Boston University Massachusetts 15 2
#44 Ohio State University-Main Campus Ohio 9 0
#49 University of Rochester New York 3 0
#49 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Washington 79 4
#52 University of Georgia Georgia 217 4
#55 Purdue University-Main Campus Indiana 14 0
#59 Tulane University of Louisiana Louisiana 7 0
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 31 3
#59 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pennsylvania 4 0
#69 Michigan State University Michigan 12 1
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 16 2
#80 Clemson University South Carolina 66 0
#85 University of Delaware Delaware 38 0
#85 Fordham University New York 8 0
#85 University at Buffalo New York 4 0
#90 Texas Christian University Texas 48 1
#95 American University D.C. 8 0
#95 University of Illinois at Chicago Illinois 39 2
#95 University of Missouri-Columbia Missouri 25 0
#100 Auburn University Alabama 52 0
#100 Florida International University Florida 190 1
#100 University of South Florida-Main Campus Florida 17 1
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 2 0
#116 Iowa State University Iowa 14 0
#116 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Oklahoma 26 0
#116 Brigham Young University-Provo Utah 29 0
#121 Arizona State University-Tempe Arizona 52 1
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 5 0
#121 University of Central Florida Florida 76 0
#121 Loyola University Chicago Illinois 9 1
#121 University of Dayton Ohio 74 2
#121 University of South Carolina-Columbia South Carolina 61 0
#121 George Mason University Virginia 45 0
#133 Miami University-Oxford Ohio 127 0
#133 University of Vermont Vermont 21 0
#137 University of Alabama at Birmingham Alabama 16 1
#137 San Diego State University California 175 2
#137 San Jose State University California 170 4
#137 St John's University (NY) New York 2 0
#137 University of Scranton Pennsylvania 25 0
#137 James Madison University Virginia 11 1
#148 California State University-Los Angeles California 320 3
#148 Mercer University Georgia 17 0
#148 University of Kansas Kansas 3 0
#148 University of Kentucky Kentucky 10 0
#148 University of Rhode Island Rhode Island 27 0
#156 California State University-Fullerton California 490 1
#156 CUNY--City College New York 69 3
#156 Duquesne University Pennsylvania 52 0
#156 Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia 6 0
#169 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado 16 0
#169 Bradley University Illinois 11 0
#169 DePaul University Illinois 38 0
#179 University of Louisville Kentucky 8 0
#179 University of Mississippi Mississippi 10 0
#179 CUNY Hunter College New York 66 2
#186 University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii 19 0
#191 University of Arkansas Arkansas 6 0
#191 Georgia State University Georgia 29 0
#191 Rowan University New Jersey 38 0
#202 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Louisiana 24 1
#202 University of Massachusetts-Boston Massachusetts 73 1
#202 Ohio University-Main Campus Ohio 82 0
#208 California State University--Fresno California 12 0
#208 California State University-Sacramento California 316 2
#208 University of North Carolina at Greensboro North Carolina 32 0
#208 Ohio Northern University Ohio 12 0
#208 Xavier University Ohio 19 0
#208 Belmont University Tennessee 1 0
#208 University of North Texas Texas 9 0
#219 Illinois State University Illinois 147 0
#219 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indiana 11 0
#219 New York Institute of Technology New York 7 0
#219 Gannon University Pennsylvania 7 0
#219 Robert Morris University Pennsylvania 12 1
#227 San Francisco State University California 177 3
#227 Ball State University Indiana 19 0
#227 University of Michigan-Dearborn Michigan 28 0
#227 University of North Dakota North Dakota 6 0
#227 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 197 0
#236 University of Colorado Denver Colorado 84 6
#236 University of North Florida Florida 41 0
#236 University of Nevada--Las Vegas Nevada 99 2
#236 Kent State University at Kent Ohio 149 1
#236 Portland State University Oregon 28 2
#236 Chatham University Pennsylvania 1 0
#236 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 73 0
#250 Nova Southeastern University Florida 26 0
#250 Oakland City University Indiana 3 0
#250 University of Missouri--Kansas City Missouri 8 0
#250 New Mexico State University-Main Campus New Mexico 31 1
#250 Pace University-New York New York 52 1
#250 La Salle University Pennsylvania 6 0
#250 South Dakota State University South Dakota 40 0
#250 University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Texas 3 0
#262 Central Michigan University Michigan 169 0
#262 DeSales University Pennsylvania 14 0
#262 University of Texas--El Paso Texas 32 1
#262 Seattle Pacific University Washington 4 0
#276 Northern Arizona University Arizona 8 0
#276 California Baptist University California 78 0
#276 Marian University (IN) Indiana 3 0
#276 Western Michigan University Michigan 38 0
#276 University of Missouri--St. Louis Missouri 5 0
#276 Widener University Pennsylvania 10 0
#288 Biola University California 11 1
#288 University of Hartford Connecticut 20 0
#288 Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Illinois 28 0
#288 Wichita State University Kansas 2 0
#288 Arcadia University Pennsylvania 15 0
#288 Utah State University Utah 12 0
#299 Southern Connecticut State University Connecticut 23 0
#299 Boise State University Idaho 4 0
#299 University of Toledo Ohio 63 0
#299 Tennessee Technological University Tennessee 21 0
#299 Concordia University Wisconsin Wisconsin 19 0
#308 Northern Illinois University Illinois 75 1
#308 Oakland University Michigan 9 2
#308 Maryville University of Saint Louis Missouri 1 0
#308 Montana State University Montana 15 0
#317 Kean University New Jersey 48 1
#317 University of Mary North Dakota 6 0
#317 Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Pennsylvania 30 0
#328 East Tennessee State University Tennessee 18 7
#328 Old Dominion University Virginia 8 0
#332 University of South Alabama Alabama 19 0
#332 Mercy University New York 127 0
#332 Texas A&M University--Kingsville Texas 4 0
#332 Texas Woman's University Texas 13 0
#342 University of Northern Colorado Colorado 36 0
#342 Missouri State University Missouri 43 0
#342 Daemen University New York 5 0
#342 Cleveland State University Ohio 50 0
#342 Kennesaw State University Georgia 21 1
#353 Jacksonville State University Alabama 18 0
#353 Arkansas State University Arkansas 82 0
#353 Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville Illinois 38 0
#353 University of Louisiana--Lafayette Louisiana 18 0
#353 University of Michigan--Flint Michigan 13 0
#353 University of Houston--Clear Lake Texas 11 1
#353 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Puerto Rico 10 0
#353 Pennsylvania Western University Pennsylvania 147 0
#365 Troy University Alabama 26 0
#365 The University of Montana Montana 2 0
#365 Liberty University Virginia 289 0
#365 Eastern Washington University Washington 17 0
#376 Concordia University-Saint Paul Minnesota 40 0
#376 Tennessee State University Tennessee 8 0
#382 University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska 2 0
#382 Grand Canyon University Arizona 771 3
#382 National University California 134 0
#382 University of Colorado--Colorado Springs Colorado 28 0
#382 Wilmington University Delaware 14 0
#382 Southeastern University Florida 3 0
#382 Valdosta State University Georgia 47 0
#382 Idaho State University Idaho 3 0
#382 Chicago State University Illinois 18 0
#382 Concordia University-Chicago Illinois 10 0
#382 Governors State University Illinois 32 3
#382 National Louis University Illinois 424 1
#382 Roosevelt University Illinois 20 1
#382 Northeastern State University Oklahoma 57 4
#382 East Texas A&M University Texas 4 0
#382 Regent University Virginia 18 0
#382 Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Puerto Rico 2 0
LAC #22 Colgate University New York 3 0
LAC #29 Bucknell University Pennsylvania 8 0
LAC #81 Wheaton College (MA) Massachusetts 8 0
LAC #85 Stonehill College Massachusetts 10 0
LAC #85 Susquehanna University Pennsylvania 21 0
LAC #97 Austin College Texas 3 0
LAC #111 Saint Vincent College Pennsylvania 10 0
LAC #132 Saint Norbert College Wisconsin 1 0
LAC #142 Eastern Connecticut State University Connecticut 27 0
LAC #146 Gordon College Massachusetts 28 16
LAC #146 Claflin University South Carolina 4 0
LAC #158 Presbyterian College South Carolina 5 0
LAC #160 Albright College Pennsylvania 6 0
LAC #170 Western Oregon University Oregon 1 0
LAC #172 Brigham Young University-Idaho Idaho 26 0
LAC #175 Mitchell College Connecticut 8 0
LAC #178 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Oklahoma 6 0
LAC #180 Alabama State University Alabama 11 0
LAC #184 Fort Lewis College Colorado 3 0
LAC #184 Harris-Stowe State University Missouri 8 0
LAC #184 Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 2 0
LAC #184 Utah Tech University Utah 9 0
— The University of Arizona Global Campus Arizona 532 2
— Dallas College Texas 480 0
— Walden University Minnesota 432 1
— California State University-Northridge California 323 5
— American College of Education Indiana 298 7
— Rasmussen University-Minnesota Minnesota 285 0
— California State University-Dominguez Hills California 216 2
— Lone Star College System Texas 204 12
— Bryant & Stratton College-Online New York 198 0
— South Texas College Texas 177 0
— Ivy Tech Community College Indiana 168 0
— CUNY Brooklyn College New York 161 3
— San Jacinto Community College Texas 138 0
— Utah Valley University Utah 135 0
— Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 135 0
— California State University-Bakersfield California 124 0
— University of Phoenix Arizona 117 0
— Millersville University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 112 0
— Connecticut State Community College Connecticut 107 4
— California State University-Stanislaus California 105 2
— Purdue University Global Indiana 104 2
— Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 102 0
— California State University-San Marcos California 102 1
— Northwest Vista College Texas 101 0
— Lewis University Illinois 94 1
— Odessa College Texas 93 0
— Salem State University Massachusetts 87 0
— Central New Mexico Community College New Mexico 87 1
— North Seattle College Washington 87 1
— Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Indiana 81 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 1,388,390 — $72,650
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education 478,780 $20.69 $43,030
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education 108,870 — $69,370
Education Teachers, Postsecondary 60,830 — $79,350

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2003–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.