Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education: Paths, Licensure, and Pay

By Marce ArnejoUpdated Oct 30, 2026

Early childhood educator helping three young children build with colorful blocks beside the title “Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.”

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Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education: Paths, Licensure, and Pay

A bachelor's degree in early childhood education prepares you to teach and care for children from birth through age 8, and a typical program runs about 120 credits, or four years of full-time study. Where you plan to work shapes which version you should pick. A public pre-K or kindergarten classroom calls for a licensure-track program and a state license, while Head Start sets its own degree rules and many child care centers hire with an associate degree or a state credential.

Pay follows the same split. Preschool teachers earned a May 2025 median of $38,140 overall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), but those working in schools earned $52,800, compared with $36,850 in child daycare services.

Early Childhood Education programs for you

The University of Arizona Global Campus

AA in Early Childhood Education

Online

5-6 Week Classes
Flexible start dates allow you to begin as soon as next week

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

The University of Arizona Global Campus

BA in Early Childhood Education

Online

5-6 Week Classes
Flexible start dates allow you to begin as soon as next week

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

The University of Arizona Global Campus

BA in Early Childhood Development w/ Differentiated Instruction

Online

5-6 Week Classes
Flexible start dates allow you to begin as soon as next week

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

The University of Arizona Global Campus

BA in Early Childhood Education Administration

Online

5-6 Week Classes
Flexible start dates allow you to begin as soon as next week

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

Key Points

Your target setting, whether a public school, Head Start, or a private center, decides whether you need a licensure-track program.
Licensure tracks lead toward a state license for pre-K through grade 3, while non-licensure tracks skip student teaching and suit settings that don't require a license.
Head Start requires at least half of its teachers nationwide to hold a bachelor's degree.
In May 2025, preschool teachers earned a median of $38,140, kindergarten teachers $62,680, and preschool and childcare center directors $59,300.
The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential asks for 120 training hours and 480 hours of work experience, so it can serve as a faster first step than a four-year degree.

Early childhood educator helping two preschool children stack colorful wooden blocks during a classroom learning activity.

Do You Need a Bachelor's Degree to Teach Early Childhood Education?

Only in some settings. According to BLS, preschool teachers typically need at least an associate degree, but public school preschool teachers generally need a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field, plus a state license that covers preschool through third grade.

Where you want to work	What employers typically require
Public school pre-K, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3	A bachelor's degree and a state teaching license, usually with an exam
Center-based Head Start classroom	A two- or four-year degree in child development or ECE, with at least half of teachers nationwide holding a bachelor's
Private preschool or child care center	Often an associate degree, and in some states a professional credential
Center director role	A bachelor's degree and early childhood experience in most states

The Head Start figures come from the Office of Head Start's qualification rules for center-based preschool teachers, which are set by the Head Start Program Performance Standards (45 CFR 1302.91). In other words, the bachelor's degree is required in some settings and optional in others, so your target job should decide the program before anything else does.

Bachelor's Degree vs. CDA Credential

The Child Development Associate credential is not a degree, but it is a recognized early childhood credential you can earn while working. Under the Council for Professional Recognition's CDA process, you need a high school diploma or GED, 120 hours of training across eight subject areas, and 480 hours of experience with the age group you serve. You then build a portfolio, sit for an exam, and complete a verification visit, and the assessment fee is $525.

That makes the CDA a practical starting point if four years of school isn't realistic yet. A bachelor's degree goes further, though, because it is the starting requirement for licensed public school roles and most director positions.

Preschool teacher reading a picture book to a group of young children seated in a circle during classroom story time.

Licensure-Track vs. Non-Licensure ECE Programs

Programs split into two tracks, and picking the wrong one costs time. A licensure track builds in student teaching and prepares you for your state's licensing exam. A non-licensure track keeps the child development coursework but usually leaves out student teaching, often adding supervised field hours instead.

Licensure Track

Choose this track if a public school classroom is the goal. At Colorado Christian University, for example, completing the licensure B.A. leads to a university recommendation for Colorado licensure to teach pre-kindergarten through third grade, after content testing and background checks. If you plan to teach in another state, confirm that the program's licensure path is accepted there, since requirements and reciprocity rules differ by state.

Non-Licensure Track

This track fits Head Start, private preschools, and center leadership. Colorado Christian University's non-licensure B.A. doesn't require student teaching but includes 160 clock hours of field experience, and its program page notes that graduates may still pursue Colorado licensure later through other routes.

Inside an Early Childhood Education Bachelor's Program

Expect a mix of child development, teaching practice, and real classroom time. Your first courses usually explain how children grow, covering child development, psychology, early literacy and numeracy, and health, safety, and nutrition.

From there, the program shifts toward teaching itself. You'll study curriculum design, instructional strategies for young learners, classroom management and behavior guidance, and inclusive practices for children with disabilities. Courses on family and community engagement round it out, because so much of the job involves working with parents.

Field experience runs through the whole degree, starting with observations and building to practicums or student teaching. Online programs typically still require this hands-on time, so plan on completing placements in a classroom in your area.

Degree Titles: BA, BS, or BEd

Schools award this degree as a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Science, or a Bachelor of Education, and each typically requires about 120 credits. The title tells you very little on its own. The more useful question is whether the program is a licensure track that fits your state.

How Long the Degree Takes

Plan on about four years of full-time study for a bachelor's in early childhood education. Part-time study takes longer, while transfer credit can shorten it, and some community college associate degrees are designed to transfer into a bachelor's in a similar major. Some programs also award credit for prior work experience in child care.

Early Childhood Education Degree Jobs and Pay

An early childhood education degree leads to classroom and leadership roles, and the pay gap between them is wide. The table shows May 2025 BLS medians next to what each role typically asks for.

Role	Median pay (May 2025)	Typical requirement
Preschool teacher	$38,140	Associate degree; bachelor's in public schools
Kindergarten teacher	$62,680	Bachelor's degree and state license
Preschool or childcare center director	$59,300	Bachelor's degree and experience

Infographic showing early childhood education degree jobs and median pay: preschool teacher $38,140, kindergarten teacher $62,680, and preschool or childcare center director $59,300, with typical education requirements.

Preschool and Head Start Teacher

BLS reports that preschool teachers earned a median of $38,140, or $18.34 an hour, and 65% of them work in child daycare services. Employment is projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 66,700 openings a year.

Kindergarten Teacher

Kindergarten pays the most of the three, but it sits inside the public school licensing system. Kindergarten teachers earned $62,680 in May 2025, and BLS expects little or no change in employment for kindergarten and elementary school teachers through 2035.

Childcare Center Director

Directors run the program rather than one classroom. BLS reports that preschool and childcare center directors earned $59,300, with a bachelor's degree and early childhood experience typically required. Employment is projected to decline 3% through 2035, though about 5,200 openings a year should still come up.

Roles Beyond the Classroom

The degree also supports work as an early intervention specialist, a family childcare provider, a curriculum developer for early learning programs, or a childcare licensing specialist. These roles draw on the same child development training, and some of them, such as licensing or curriculum work, take you out of the daily classroom.

How to Choose an Early Childhood Education Program

Start with the job you want, then narrow by the details that affect your daily life as a student.

Match the track to your goal. Pick a licensure track for public school roles and a non-licensure track for Head Start, private preschool, or center leadership.
Check accreditation. Confirm the school is institutionally accredited, and note that NAEYC accredits early childhood degree programs at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels.
Ask how field placements work. Find out whether the program arranges placements near you or expects you to secure your own.
Count the credit you already have. Transfer credit and credit for prior experience can shorten your timeline.
Review admission requirements. Admission usually requires a high school diploma or equivalent and transcripts, while GPA and test-score policies vary by school. Because you'll work with children, expect a background check before field placements.

More programs to explore

Arizona State University

Early Childhood Special Education, MEd

Online

Learn from notable faculty at the nation's most innovative university.
#2 for employability among U.S. public universities by GEURS.

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

Colorado Christian University

B.A. - Early Childhood Education (Licensure)

Online

100% Online: Flexible 5-week courses fit your life
Teach pre-K through 3rd grade in public, private, or charter schools

CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Financial aid (may be available)

Submit

Arizona State University

Educating Multilingual Learners, Graduate Certificate

Online

Learn from notable faculty at the nation's most innovative university.
#2 for employability among U.S. public universities by GEURS.

Financial aid (may be available)

Request Info

Colorado Christian University

B.A. - Elementary Education (Licensure)

Online

100% Online: Flexible 5-week courses fit your life
Teach kindergarten through 6th grade in public, private, or charter schools

CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Financial aid (may be available)

Submit

Paying for the Degree

Start with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which schools use to award federal grants, loans, and work-study. If you're on a licensure track, also check whether your school participates in the federal TEACH Grant program, which pays up to $4,000 a year to students preparing to teach. Eligibility depends partly on grades, generally a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 or a college admissions test score above the 75th percentile.

The grant comes with a service requirement. You must agree to teach full time for four elementary or secondary school years at a school serving low-income students, in a high-need field such as special education, bilingual education, or English language acquisition, and finish that service within eight years of leaving school. If you don't complete it, every TEACH Grant you received converts to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest charged from the date each grant was paid out.

Online Early Childhood Education Degree Programs on Dreambound

Online coursework makes this degree workable around a job, as long as you can complete field hours where you live. One website to consider is Dreambound, where you can compare online Early Childhood Education programs from accredited schools side by side.

Dreambound partners with accredited schools to list online Early Childhood Education degree programs you can fit around work and family.

If you want a shorter credential first, you can also compare the cheapest and fastest early childhood education programs before committing to four years. Some of the schools and programs listed on Dreambound include:

Liberty University Online

Program:

8-week classes
Transfer in up to 75% of an undergraduate degree
Accredited

As a nonprofit, Liberty strives to keep costs low for students.

Colorado Christian University

Program:

Both B.A. options are offered online. The first is the licensure track described earlier, and the second is the non-licensure track, which skips student teaching and includes 160 clock hours of field experience.

Arizona State University

Program:

Educational Studies (Early Childhood Studies), BAE

ASU offers this program online, and its Dreambound listing does not describe it as a licensure program.

Is a Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education Worth It?

It's worth it when the job you want requires the degree or pays more because of it. The comparison below can help you decide.

It's likely worth it if you...	Think twice if you...
Want a public pre-K, kindergarten, or early grades classroom	Plan to stay in a child care center role that hires with an associate degree
Want to lead a center or teach in Head Start	Need to start working soon, when a CDA could get you in faster
Want the higher pay of school settings ($52,800 median for preschool teachers)	Expect to stay in child daycare, where the median is $36,850

The work itself is demanding, with long, tiring days alongside young, active children and real responsibility for their safety. For people who want a career in early learning, though, the degree is the credential that licensed teaching and most director roles call for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best degree for early childhood education?

No single degree fits every early childhood career. A licensure-track bachelor's in early childhood education fits public school pre-K through third grade, while a non-licensure bachelor's fits private preschools, Head Start, and center leadership.

What is the highest paying job in early childhood education?

Of the roles BLS tracks for this field, kindergarten teachers had the highest May 2025 median at $62,680, followed by preschool and childcare center directors at $59,300. Kindergarten teaching in public schools requires a state license.

What can you do with an early childhood education degree?

You can teach preschool, Head Start, or, with a license, kindergarten and the early grades. You can also direct a child care center or move into early intervention, curriculum development, or childcare licensing work.

What is the difference between early childhood and elementary education?

Early childhood education covers birth through age 8, with a focus on social, emotional, and cognitive foundations. Elementary education usually covers kindergarten through sixth grade and leans more heavily on subject teaching such as math, science, and language arts.

Planning Your Early Childhood Education Degree

Picture the classroom you want to be in five years from now. If it is a public school kindergarten, a licensure track belongs at the top of your list. If it is a Head Start room or a director's office, a non-licensure program can get you there with fewer hurdles, and a CDA can keep you working in the meantime.

When you're ready to compare schools, start with the online early childhood education programs listed on Dreambound and note which ones match the track you chose above.

Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education: Paths, Licensure, and Pay

Key Points