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In-home childcare provider education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an in-home childcare provider. In-home childcare providers usually study business, psychology, or early childhood education. 34% of in-home childcare providers hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 58,562 real in-home childcare provider resumes to see exactly what in-home childcare provider education sections show.
The most common colleges for in-home childcare providers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online in-home childcare provider courses to help get the education required to be an in-home childcare provider.
There are certain in-home childcare provider certifications that you should consider. These in-home childcare provider certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become an in-home childcare provider?
What degree do you need to be an in-home childcare provider?
- Bachelor's, 34%
- High School Diploma, 30%
- Associate, 20%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an in-home childcare provider?
- Business, 13%
- Psychology, 11%
- General Studies, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for in-home childcare providers
| In-home childcare provider common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 23.79% |
| Ashford University | 7.79% |
| Liberty University | 5.86% |
| Monroe College | 5.71% |
| Central State University | 4.50% |
Best majors for in-home childcare providers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 13.3% |
| 2 | Psychology | 11.3% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 8.1% |
| 4 | General Studies | 7.9% |
| 5 | Nursing | 7.1% |
Best colleges for in-home childcare providers
The best colleges for in-home childcare providers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.
An in-home childcare provider with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for in-home childcare providers. 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 in-home childcare providers.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for in-home childcare providers
Advertising disclosure
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20. The Complete Personal Development Course - 22 Courses in 1
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Top 10 most affordable universities for in-home childcare providers
The most affordable schools for in-home childcare providers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for in-home childcare providers 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 in-home childcare providers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for in-home childcare providers
The hardest universities for in-home childcare providers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for in-home childcare providers 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 in-home childcare providers 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for in-home childcare providers
The easiest schools for in-home childcare providers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an in-home childcare provider 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 in-home childcare providers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
6. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average in-home childcare provider salary by education level
| In-home childcare provider education level | In-home childcare provider salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,250 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,116 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,463 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,687 |
In-home childcare provider education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025