How will your early childhood education education stack up?

If you want to study early childhood education at home, you should be aware of how your education will compare to the education available elsewhere in the US. Below is some information to help you get started. There are 1,165 traditional early childhood education schools in the US.

Top Schools

The top schools in the nation in 2010 that had early childhood education programs were:

1. New York University - located in New York, New York
2. Vanderbilt University - located in Nashville, Tennessee
3. Johns Hopkins University - located in Baltimore, Maryland

Student Demographics

In 2010, degrees in early childhood education were earned by 27,528 students in the US. Of these students, 4,947 received certifications in early childhood education, 18,983 received an undergraduate degree in early childhood education, and 3,598 received a graduate-level degree in early childhood education.

Academics

Students can pursue education in early childhood education at the following levels:

During the course of their early childhood education education, students can hope to gain the following skills and/or knowledge:

• Exceptional Child
• Parent Involvement
• Active Listening
• Judgment and Decision Making
• Time Management

Cost

In 2010, early childhood education schools around the nation charged an average tuition of $19,824 per year. The following early childhood education schools had the highest tuition rates:

1. George Washington University - located in Washington, Washington DC, students paid $41,655
2. Tulane University of Louisiana - located in New Orleans, Louisiana, students paid $40,584
3. Oberlin College - located in Oberlin, Ohio, students paid $40,004

The following early childhood education schools had the lowest tuition rates:

1. University of Central Florida - located in Orlando, Florida, students paid $4,526
2. Florida International University - located in Miami, Florida, students paid $4,580
3. University of South Florida-Main Campus - located in Tampa, Florida, students paid $4,577

How will your early childhood education job compare?

Many US early childhood education graduates become kindergarten teacher, elementary school teacher, or preschool director. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, estimates that in 2010, 2,079,010 early childhood education professionals were working in the US. 369,380 of these early childhood education professionals were preschool teachers, 173,330 were kindergarten teachers and 1,485,600 were elementary school teachers. The states with the largest populations of early childhood education professionals are:

1. California - 256,080 Early Childhood Education Professionals
2. Texas - 205,830 Early Childhood Education Professionals
3. New York - 134,760 Early Childhood Education Professionals

Projected Growth

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts by 2018, an estimated 2,615,310 early childhood education professionals will be working in the US. This would require the number of early childhood education professionals to grow by 15%. The following states are projected to have the fastest growth for early childhood education professionals over the next few years:

1. Utah - 32%
2. Texas - 31%
3. Georgia - 28%

Salary

Early childhood education professionals around the US earn $43,033 per year on average. However, the salary for early childhood education professionals can vary greatly based not only on the exact early childhood education profession you pursue but also on factors such as your exact job description, professional associations and certifications, and professional associations and certifications. Approximately 10 percent of early childhood education professionals earn less than $15,370 per year, while another 10 percent earn more than $141,560 per year. On average, early childhood education professionals earn the most in the following states:

1. New York - $60,930 per year
2. Rhode Island - $54,830 per year
3. New Jersey - $53,375 per year

On average, early childhood education professionals earn the least in the following states:

1. North Dakota - $36,085 per year
2. Utah - $36,205 per year
3. Montana - $36,293 per year

The early childhood education professionals with highest average salaries in 2010 were:

1. Elementary School Teacher - $54,330 per year
2. Kindergarten Teacher - $51,550 per year
3. Preschool Director - $50,410 per year

The early childhood education professionals with lowest average salaries in 2010 were:

4. Kindergarten Teacher - $51,550 per year
5. Preschool Director - $50,410 per year
6. Preschool Teacher - $29,200 per year