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Kindergarten teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a kindergarten teacher. Kindergarten teachers usually study elementary education, early childhood education, or education. 71% of kindergarten teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 19,707 real kindergarten teacher resumes to see exactly what kindergarten teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for kindergarten teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online kindergarten teacher courses to help get the education required to be a kindergarten teacher.
There are certain kindergarten teacher certifications that you should consider. These kindergarten teacher certifications include Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a kindergarten teacher?
What degree do you need to be a kindergarten teacher?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a kindergarten teacher?
- Elementary Education, 29%
- Education, 13%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for kindergarten teachers
| Kindergarten teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.21% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.14% |
| Arizona State University | 5.42% |
| Montclair State University | 5.28% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.21% |
Best majors for kindergarten teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elementary Education | 29.1% |
| 2 | Early Childhood Education | 18.4% |
| 3 | Education | 12.9% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Human Development | 4.6% |
Best colleges for kindergarten teachers
The best colleges for kindergarten teachers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A kindergarten 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 kindergarten 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 kindergarten teachers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
4. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for kindergarten teachers
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1. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. These programs vary widely but most share a concern for five individual, student competencies: self awareness; self-management; social awareness; relationship skills; and finally responsible decision making. It is important for teachers and parents to know about and understand these programs. While lots of SEL programs emphasize K-12 student social and emotional learning, only a very few programs...
2. Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom
Welcome to Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you effectively assess student performance virtually, including compliance issues, feedback models, online grade book functions, and data analysis. We will discuss why effective measures of performance and assessment are a crucial component of any virtual program, and the importance of teachers and administrators understanding both the myths and challenges of assessing performance virtually, administering...
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A group of seven European partners from Catalonia, Belgium, and Wales worked together on the Erasmus+ funded ‘Think Global’ project on global competence. The project seeks to address the following research question through development and piloting of practical classroom activities: What is global competence, and how can it be learned effectively? The Think Global project explores, through international collaboration, how global competence is defined, taught, learned, and measured in the...
6. Music Education for Teachers
In the Music Education for Teachers specialization, you will explore ways of integrating popular music into your teaching. You'll begin by learning from two highly experienced teachers, Krystal Banfield, the Vice President of Educational Outreach for Berklee College of Music, and David Alexis a Berklee Professor and long-time instructor for the Berklee City Music Program. They will take you through their process of incorporating popular music, improvisation, arranging, and music technology into...
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9. Virtual Teacher Final Project
The Final Project will be a hands-on, comprehensive project that practitioners of virtual education can implement in their profession. For this final project, learners will draft a design plan for an online learning module utilizing materials learned from the virtual teacher series. Learners will choose the subject matter, method of delivery, tools, instructional strategies, and assessments, with the goal of creating a module of online or blended instruction that meets the needs of their...
10. Social Science Approaches to the Study of Chinese Society Part 1
This course seeks to turn learners into informed consumers of social science research. It introduces concepts, standards, and principles of social science research to the interested non-expert. Learners who complete the course will be able to assess evidence and critically evaluate claims about important social phenomena. It reviews the origins and development of social science, describes the process of discovery in contemporary social science research, and explains how contemporary social...
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12. Mindfulness for Life Coaching Success: Teacher Certificate
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13. Instructional Planning with Genially
Genially is “the tool that brings content to life.” Genially allows you to map out a learning journey for your students using high interest images and interactive tools. But did you know that Genially is also a wonderful tool for organizing your lessons and units. With Genially, you can plan and organize your units in one central place, simplifying your planning process with templates created with teachers in mind! Throughout this project, we will work together to build your confidence using...
14. Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom
Welcome to Advanced Instructional Strategies in the Virtual Classroom! This course will help you apply strategies to the critical areas of K-12 virtual instruction to significantly impact virtual education. We will examine the pitfalls beginning teachers run into and learn how to overcome them by focusing on the fundamentals that have the greatest impact on student learning in a blended or online environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to empower your students to be voracious...
15. Develop Amazing Social Skills & Connect With People
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16. TESOL Teacher Training: Second Language Acquisition (SLA)
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17. Lesson Planning with the ELL in Mind
In this course you will learn how to design lesson plans around the needs of your ELL students and their language level through the analysis of content language and cognitive demands. You will learn how to align language objectives to the adopted standards of your school and content area. You will learn how to modify existing course materials as well as develop graphic organizers and languages frames to support ELLs’ access to content. Analysis of second language acquisition theories will be...
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19. Standard 9.1- Part 1 Foundation Enterprise Architect Course
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20. Preparation for CELTA Teacher Training
Learn the skills required to succeed in your CELTA training - gain practice in lesson planning and writing assignments!!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for kindergarten teachers
The most affordable schools for kindergarten teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for kindergarten 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 kindergarten 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
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 kindergarten teachers
The hardest universities for kindergarten teachers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for kindergarten 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 kindergarten 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for kindergarten teachers
The easiest schools for kindergarten teachers 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 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 teachers.
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
Average kindergarten teacher salary by education level
| Kindergarten teacher education level | Kindergarten teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,019 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,087 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,863 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,820 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,244 |
Kindergarten teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025