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Key takeaway: Online early childhood education degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s level by accredited schools nationwide, preparing graduates to teach and care for children from infancy through roughly age eight. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, related occupations pay a median $34,980 to $76,580 a year, with preschool teachers, childcare workers, and preschool/childcare administrators together accounting for roughly 231,200 annual job openings (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034)1. Compare accredited programs below.
Online Early Childhood Education Degrees prepare students to support learning and development in the years before kindergarten and into the early elementary grades. Programs blend child development theory with applied classroom and caregiving practice, and accredited online programs generally deliver the same curriculum and degree titles as their campus counterparts; browse the best accredited online colleges to compare schools that offer them. For teacher-licensure tracks, CAEP accredits many education preparation programs at the institutional level.
These accredited schools offer online programs, report education completions, and are ordered by our independent BOC Score. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
Browse degree levels and formats below, or see how early childhood education compares within the broader Education Program Guide.
Programs typically cover child development from birth through age eight, early literacy and numeracy, play-based and hands-on instructional methods, classroom and learning-environment design, and family or community engagement.
Common levels include an associate degree (often for childcare or paraprofessional roles), a bachelor’s degree (often paired with teacher licensure), and a master’s degree for advanced practice or leadership roles such as center director.
A bachelor’s degree paired with a state-approved teacher preparation sequence and supervised student teaching is generally the path to a preschool or early-elementary teaching license. Requirements, including required exams, vary by state, so confirm specifics with the state licensing board where you plan to teach.
Students should verify institutional accreditation from a recognized regional or national accrediting body through the U.S. Department of Education database. For teacher-preparation tracks, CAEP accredits many education preparation units.
Requirements vary widely by state and by role. Some entry-level childcare positions require only a high school diploma plus state-required training hours, while lead teacher, preschool teacher, and director roles increasingly require an associate or bachelor’s degree. Check your state’s child care licensing agency for specifics.
Degree level shapes both the roles you qualify for and the typical cost and earnings profile. Our data source does not break out an early-childhood-specific CIP code separately from the broader education/teacher-education grouping, so the figures below reflect College Scorecard outcomes for education programs generally (CIP: Education, General and Teacher Education).
| Degree Level | 1-Year Median Earnings | 5-Year Median Earnings | Median Debt | Programs Offered Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate | $24,507 | $33,878 | $12,695 | 66.1% |
| Bachelor’s | $42,026 | $47,588 | $23,352 | 82.5% |
| Master’s | $56,255 | $63,222 | $29,724 | 57.4% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, latest academic year, education-program (CIP) grouping.
For a full cost breakdown and ways to lower it, see Affordable Early Childhood Education Programs and Is an Early Childhood Education Degree Worth It.
Early childhood education programs combine child-development theory with applied teaching and caregiving practice. Coursework commonly spans child growth and development (birth through age eight), early literacy and numeracy foundations, play-based and hands-on learning methods, classroom and learning-environment design, observation-based assessment of young children, and family and community engagement strategies. Bachelor’s-level and licensure-track programs generally add supervised field placement or student teaching hours, with specific requirements set by the state where you intend to teach.
See more on degree structure at the Online Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and Online Master’s in Early Childhood Education pages.
Early childhood education graduates work in preschools, childcare centers, Head Start programs, and early-elementary classrooms. Entry-level classroom and caregiving roles are accessible with an associate degree in many states; lead teacher, preschool teacher, and director-track roles more often call for a bachelor’s degree, and some states require it for licensure.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage | Job Growth (2024-2034) | Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childcare Workers | $34,980 | -2.9% | 160,200 |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $38,140 | 4.1% | 65,500 |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | $59,300 | -2.5% | 5,500 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,970 | -2.0% | 91,000 |
| Special Education Teachers, All Other | $76,580 | 1.1% | 2,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025; job growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Wages and openings vary by role and setting – childcare-center roles, private preschool positions, and public elementary teaching jobs are tracked under separate BLS occupational codes, and licensure requirements for classroom teaching roles differ by state.
Moving from entry-level childcare work to a licensed teaching or leadership role generally requires additional education. A bachelor’s degree combined with a state-approved teacher preparation program and supervised student teaching is the common path to an early-childhood or early-elementary teaching license; a master’s degree can support advancement into center director, curriculum specialist, or instructional coordinator roles.
Related paths include general elementary education, special education, and early intervention or child life specialties, which some schools offer as concentrations rather than separate degrees.
Early childhood education or a related field? Choose early childhood education for a caregiving- and development-focused track leading toward preschool or early-elementary teaching; explore the broader Education Program Guide for elementary, secondary, and special education paths, or psychology for a developmental-science-focused alternative.
Compare programs by level or topic:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025; Employment Projections 2024-2034. ↩︎
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