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Early childhood services director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an early childhood services director. Early childhood services directors usually study early childhood education, education, or elementary education. 58% of early childhood services directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 454 real early childhood services director resumes to see exactly what early childhood services director education sections show.
The most common colleges for early childhood services directors are the Ashford University and the Ashford University.
There are also many online early childhood services director courses to help get the education required to be an early childhood services director.
What education do you need to become an early childhood services director?
What degree do you need to be an early childhood services director?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an early childhood services director?
- Education, 14%
- Elementary Education, 12%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for early childhood services directors
| Early childhood services director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ashford University | 10.96% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 8.22% |
| New York University | 6.85% |
| Texas Southern University | 5.48% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.48% |
Best majors for early childhood services directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | 18.3% |
| 2 | Education | 14.5% |
| 3 | Elementary Education | 11.7% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 5 | Human Development | 5.9% |
Best colleges for early childhood services directors
The best colleges for early childhood services directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
An early childhood services director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for early childhood services directors. 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 early childhood services directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for early childhood services directors
Advertising disclosure
1. Introduction to Early Childhood
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to operate a family day care center, and it covers topics including the fundamentals of early childhood development; the importance of play and Developmentally Appropriate Practice; and the significance of building strong family-educator relationships and how to achieve them. 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...
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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...
3. Introduction to Early Childhood Montessori Education
Learning Montessori Philosophy and Materials by visiting classrooms across the U.S...
4. Understanding The Impact of Trauma in Early Childhood
The Biological Impact of Early Childhood Trauma on Brain Development and Social-Emotional Functioning...
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6. INSPIRED BY REGGIO EMILIA: A New Beginning
Teaching Strategies for Early Childhood Education...
7. Montessori Math Course (Early Childhood and Elementary)
Step by step video presentations and pdf manuals and resources that will empower you as a Montessori teacher...
8. The Power of Play and its impact on early childhood learning
Learn key techniques to help you understand why, when and how to empower and extend children's creative play...
9. Fully Accredited Heal Your Inner Child Diploma Course
Easy & Effective Techniques To Heal Events From Childhood. Using The Tools Of Hypnosis To Set Yourself Free!...
10. Educational Psychology & Special Education (Certificate)
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Learn or Specialise Your Therapy in Child Psychology with this Fully Accredited Diploma Course...
12. The Operations Management Training Program
Learn how to design, plan, direct, and improve all the activities that transform resources into goods or services...
13. Operations Management: Supply Chains, Products and Services
Master Supply Chain Management and Product and Service Development in Manufacturing and Service Organizations...
14. Autism Awareness Course for Parents - Autism Training
Training Helps Parents Reduce Challenging Autism Behavior Learn to Understand & Manage Autism and Autistic Children...
15. Heal the Inner Child - Fully Accredited Course
Become a practitioner for healing the inner child. Heal past trauma and hurt from childhood. Discover your true self...
16. IT service operations and Service Desk management
Improve Service Desk and IT support processes and service functions. Better preparation for the professional exam...
17. The Complete EMDR Therapy Course - Accredited Certification
International EMDR Training for Self-Healing, Trauma Therapy, Childhood Healing, PTSD, Grief, and Counseling...
18. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service
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20. Stress management for business owners, directors & managers
Reduce & manage stress at work & in business & build stress resilience, with 50+ practical stress management strategies...
Top 10 most affordable universities for early childhood services directors
The most affordable schools for early childhood services directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for early childhood services directors 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 early childhood services directors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for early childhood services directors
The hardest universities for early childhood services directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for early childhood services directors 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 early childhood services directors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for early childhood services directors
The easiest schools for early childhood services directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an early childhood services director 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 early childhood services directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average early childhood services director salary by education level
| Early childhood services director education level | Early childhood services director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,358 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $57,127 |
| Doctorate Degree | $83,409 |
Early childhood services director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025