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Infant teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an infant teacher. Infant teachers usually study early childhood education, human development, or psychology. 33% of infant teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 7,963 real infant teacher resumes to see exactly what infant teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for infant teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online infant teacher courses to help get the education required to be an infant teacher.

There are certain infant teacher certifications that you should consider. These infant teacher certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

What education do you need to become an infant teacher?

What degree do you need to be an infant teacher?

The most common degree for infant teachers is bachelor's degree, with 33% of infant teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 28% and high school diploma degree at 25%.
  • Bachelor's, 33%
  • High School Diploma, 28%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become an infant teacher?

You should major in early childhood education to become an infant teacher. 24% of infant teachers major in early childhood education. Other common majors for an infant teacher include human development and psychology.

Most common colleges for infant teachers

Infant teachers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Ashford University, and Northern Illinois University. Here are the most common colleges for infant teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Infant teacher common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix16.19%
Ashford University8.63%
Northern Illinois University7.91%
Grand Canyon University7.19%
Ohio State University6.83%

Best majors for infant teachers

Best colleges for infant teachers

The best colleges for infant teachers are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.

An infant 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 infant 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 infant teachers.

1. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

6. Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$48,350

Enrollment

4,103

7. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

9. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,310

Enrollment

28,439

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Enrollment

31,441

20 best online courses for infant teachers

Advertising disclosure

1. Emergency Care: Pregnancy, Infants, and Children

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5. 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...

6. Palliative Care Always Capstone Course

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10. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care

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In this course, you will be able to develop a systems view for assessing and managing pain in the palliative care setting. By the end of the course, you will be able to: 1) Describe the pain problem in the palliative care setting; 2) Assess a person’s pain, 3) Explain the benefits of integrative therapies and pharmacologic strategies to manage pain...

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13. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

14. Palliative Care Always

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Palliative Care Always is a specialization for health care practitioners, patients and caregivers. We’ve designed this specialization to demonstrate how palliative medicine integrates with patient care, and to help you develop primary palliative care skills. Over the next five courses, you will develop skills in symptom management, goals of care and effective communication to improve the quality of life for patients and families suffering with serious illness. Our hope is that you feel...

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17. The Business of Health Care

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This Specialization was designed to help you keep pace with the rapidly changing world of health and health care. Through partnership with Wharton and Penn Medicine, you’ll learn from experts in business acumen, health care management, and health care policy to develop the skills you’ll need to successfully navigate the quickly evolving landscape of this fast-growing field.* By the end of this specialization, you will have a strong foundational understanding of the American health care system,...

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19. Trauma Emergencies and Care

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20. Value-Based Care

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Top 10 most affordable universities for infant teachers

The most affordable schools for infant teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and lehman college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for infant 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 infant 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. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. 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

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for infant teachers

The hardest universities for infant teachers to get into are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for infant 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 infant 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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

9. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for infant teachers

The easiest schools for infant teachers to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an infant 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 infant 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. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

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. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average infant teacher salary by education level

Infant teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $33,951 annually. With a Master's degree, infant teachers earn a median annual income of $33,377 compared to $31,347 for infant teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Infant teacher education levelInfant teacher salary
Master's Degree$33,377
High School Diploma or Less$30,380
Bachelor's Degree$31,347
Doctorate Degree$33,951
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,679

Infant 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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