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Kindergarten aide education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a kindergarten aide. Kindergarten aides usually study elementary education, business, or early childhood education. 62% of kindergarten aides hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 624 real kindergarten aide resumes to see exactly what kindergarten aide education sections show.
The most common colleges for kindergarten aides are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online kindergarten aide courses to help get the education required to be a kindergarten aide.
There are certain kindergarten aide certifications that you should consider. These kindergarten aide certifications include First Aid Certification and Advanced First Aid & CPR.
What education do you need to become a kindergarten aide?
What degree do you need to be a kindergarten aide?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 8%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a kindergarten aide?
- Elementary Education, 20%
- Business, 11%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for kindergarten aides
| Kindergarten aide common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 13.33% |
| Illinois State University | 6.67% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.67% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.67% |
| Ohio University | 6.67% |
Best majors for kindergarten aides
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 20.1% |
| 2 | Business | 10.5% |
| 3 | Early Childhood Education | 10.2% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.3% |
| 5 | Education | 8.0% |
Best colleges for kindergarten aides
The best colleges for kindergarten aides are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A kindergarten aide with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for kindergarten aides. 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 kindergarten aides.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for kindergarten aides
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Top 10 most affordable universities for kindergarten aides
The most affordable schools for kindergarten aides are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for kindergarten aides 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 kindergarten aides.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for kindergarten aides
The hardest universities for kindergarten aides to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for kindergarten aides 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 kindergarten aides 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for kindergarten aides
The easiest schools for kindergarten aides to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, holy names university, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a kindergarten aide 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 kindergarten aides.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
Average kindergarten aide salary by education level
| Kindergarten aide education level | Kindergarten aide salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $34,872 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,118 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,010 |
| Doctorate Degree | $35,396 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,395 |
Kindergarten aide education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025