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Lead pre-kindergarten teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead pre-kindergarten teacher. Lead pre-kindergarten teachers usually study early childhood education, elementary education, or psychology. 63% of lead pre-kindergarten teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,255 real lead pre-kindergarten teacher resumes to see exactly what lead pre-kindergarten teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead pre-kindergarten teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online lead pre-kindergarten teacher courses to help get the education required to be a lead pre-kindergarten teacher.
There are certain lead pre-kindergarten teacher certifications that you should consider. These lead pre-kindergarten teacher certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a lead pre-kindergarten teacher?
What degree do you need to be a lead pre-kindergarten teacher?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a lead pre-kindergarten teacher?
- Elementary Education, 18%
- Psychology, 9%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
| Lead pre-kindergarten teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.08% |
| Georgia Southern University | 6.98% |
| Georgia State University | 6.20% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.20% |
| Ashford University | 5.43% |
Best majors for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | 25.8% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 18.1% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.3% |
| 4 | Human Development | 9.1% |
| 5 | Education | 8.8% |
Best colleges for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
The best colleges for lead pre-kindergarten teachers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A lead pre-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 lead pre-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 lead pre-kindergarten teachers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$48,350
Enrollment
4,103
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
The most affordable schools for lead pre-kindergarten teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for lead pre-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 lead pre-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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
The hardest universities for lead pre-kindergarten teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for lead pre-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 lead pre-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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead pre-kindergarten teachers
The easiest schools for lead pre-kindergarten teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead pre-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 lead pre-kindergarten teachers.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average lead pre-kindergarten teacher salary by education level
| Lead pre-kindergarten teacher education level | Lead pre-kindergarten teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $48,159 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $28,274 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,682 |
| Doctorate Degree | $46,511 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,568 |
Lead pre-kindergarten teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025