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Child development associate teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a child development associate teacher. Child development associate teachers usually study early childhood education, education, or human development. 48% of child development associate teachers hold a associate degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 41 real child development associate teacher resumes to see exactly what child development associate teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for child development associate teachers are the Fairmont State University and the Fairmont State University.

There are also many online child development associate teacher courses to help get the education required to be a child development associate teacher.

What education do you need to become a child development associate teacher?

What degree do you need to be a child development associate teacher?

The most common degree for child development associate teachers is associate degree, with 48% of child development associate teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 30% and bachelor's degree degree at 22%.
  • Associate, 48%
  • Bachelor's, 30%
  • High School Diploma, 22%

What should I major in to become a child development associate teacher?

You should major in early childhood education to become a child development associate teacher. 29% of child development associate teachers major in early childhood education. Other common majors for a child development associate teacher include education and human development.

Most common colleges for child development associate teachers

Child development associate teachers often get their degrees at Fairmont State University, Kean University, and Antelope Valley College. Here are the most common colleges for child development associate teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Child development associate teacher common collegePercentages
Fairmont State University6.67%
Kean University6.67%
Antelope Valley College6.67%
Teachers College of San Joaquin6.67%
Vassar College6.67%

Best majors for child development associate teachers

Best colleges for child development associate teachers

The best colleges for child development associate teachers are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Rochester.

A child development associate teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for child development associate teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become child development associate teachers.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

5. Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$48,350

Enrollment

4,103

6. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

7. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Enrollment

31,441

10. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Enrollment

28,439

20 best online courses for child development associate teachers

Advertising disclosure

1. Child Care as a Business

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This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to run a home-based child care center. It covers topics such as the fundamentals of an in-home childcare setting as a business; the importance of financial management of a child care center; the creation of a child care contract; and an exploration of how to set tuition rates. Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the...

2. Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher

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Many Deaf children around the world still leave school functionally illiterate. In some cases, there is no allowance made for the education of Deaf children at all. This 4-week course provides you with invaluable knowledge and skills about teaching Deaf children. You will learn about the importance of Deaf culture and community, the need for a language-rich environment for the Deaf child from as young as possible, and that having access to sign language can help Deaf children academically,...

3. Introduction to Child Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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Learn about child behaviour, parenting styles, relationships and socialising, cognitive development, counselling & more!...

4. Fully Accredited Professional Child Psychology Diploma

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Learn or Specialise Your Therapy in Child Psychology with this Fully Accredited Diploma Course...

5. Home-Based Child Care

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This series of courses is intended to provide learners with the tools to develop and operate a home-based childcare center. Stages of child development, best practices to stimulate learning, important safety measures, and business fundamentals are introduced...

6. Music Education for Teachers

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In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...

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Putting Theory Into Practice in the ESL/EFL Classroom...

9. Get Organized: How to be a Together Teacher

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This course is designed for classroom teachers who juggle time-sensitive tasks and often-exhausting teaching schedules. With an eye toward long-term sustainability, The Together Teacher examines the purpose for planning ahead, provides tools for tracking time commitments, deadlines and tasks, and helps teachers develop a personal organization system that interacts with their day-by-day practices. All teachers, from the pen & paper list maker to the tech-savvy digital maven, will benefit from...

10. Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing

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Everyday Parenting gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child. The lessons provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrations to improve your course of action with both children and adolescents. Among many techniques, you will learn how even simple modifications to tone of voice and phrasing can lead to more compliance. The course will also shed light on many...

11. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training

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12. Mindfulness Teacher Training Certificate

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13. Child Nutrition and Cooking

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Eating patterns that begin in childhood affect health and well-being across the lifespan. The culture of eating has changed significantly in recent decades, especially in parts of the world where processed foods dominate our dietary intake. This course examines contemporary child nutrition and the impact of the individual decisions made by each family. The health risks associated with obesity in childhood are also discussed. Participants will learn what constitutes a healthy diet for children...

14. Pilates Teacher Training & CPD Certification

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15. Outcome Based Education (OBE) & Academic Quality Assurance

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Master Course for Teachers' Development: Grow Your Teaching-Learning Expertise to World-Class Level...

16. AWS Certified Developer Associate Practice Exams

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Practical Strategies to Address Behaviour Issues in any Classroom...

20. Advanced Reiki Master Teacher Certificate & Course Material

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Develop Your Reiki Master Teacher Skills & Get Certified! Learn How to Teach Others - Advanced Course for Reiki Masters...

Top 10 most affordable universities for child development associate teachers

The most affordable schools for child development associate teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for child development associate teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for child development associate teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

5. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

10. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for child development associate teachers

The hardest universities for child development associate teachers to get into are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Rochester.

Some great schools for child development associate teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for child development associate teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

10. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for child development associate teachers

The easiest schools for child development associate teachers to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a child development associate teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for child development associate teachers.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. College of Mount Saint Vincent

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,021

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average child development associate teacher salary by education level

According to our data, child development associate teachers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,516 annually. Child development associate teachers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $41,344.
Child development associate teacher education levelChild development associate teacher salary
Master's Degree$42,516
High School Diploma or Less$27,730
Bachelor's Degree$35,659
Doctorate Degree$41,344
Some College/ Associate Degree$28,743

Child development associate teacher education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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