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Kindergarten teacher assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a kindergarten teacher assistant. Kindergarten teacher assistants usually study elementary education, early childhood education, or psychology. 58% of kindergarten teacher assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,975 real kindergarten teacher assistant resumes to see exactly what kindergarten teacher assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for kindergarten teacher assistants are the Grand Canyon University and the Grand Canyon University.
There are also many online kindergarten teacher assistant courses to help get the education required to be a kindergarten teacher assistant.
There are certain kindergarten teacher assistant certifications that you should consider. These kindergarten teacher assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a kindergarten teacher assistant?
What degree do you need to be a kindergarten teacher assistant?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a kindergarten teacher assistant?
- Elementary Education, 16%
- Psychology, 10%
- Education, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for kindergarten teacher assistants
| Kindergarten teacher assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Grand Canyon University | 8.55% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.84% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.98% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 5.98% |
| Illinois State University | 5.13% |
Best majors for kindergarten teacher assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 16.3% |
| 2 | Early Childhood Education | 11.0% |
| 3 | Psychology | 10.3% |
| 4 | Education | 8.7% |
| 5 | Business | 8.4% |
Best colleges for kindergarten teacher assistants
The best colleges for kindergarten teacher assistants are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A kindergarten teacher assistant 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 teacher assistants. 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 teacher assistants.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for kindergarten teacher assistants
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14. Active Learning in STEM with PhET Interactive Simulations
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Top 10 most affordable universities for kindergarten teacher assistants
The most affordable schools for kindergarten teacher assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for kindergarten teacher assistants 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 teacher assistants.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for kindergarten teacher assistants
The hardest universities for kindergarten teacher assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for kindergarten teacher assistants 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 teacher assistants 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for kindergarten teacher assistants
The easiest schools for kindergarten teacher assistants 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 a kindergarten teacher assistant 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 teacher assistants.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
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. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average kindergarten teacher assistant salary by education level
| Kindergarten teacher assistant education level | Kindergarten teacher assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $36,172 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,047 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $32,668 |
| Doctorate Degree | $37,188 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,547 |
Kindergarten teacher assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025