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Lead toddler teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead toddler teacher. Lead toddler teachers usually study early childhood education, human development, or elementary education. 45% of lead toddler teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,683 real lead toddler teacher resumes to see exactly what lead toddler teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead toddler teachers are the Ashford University and the Ashford University.

There are also many online lead toddler teacher courses to help get the education required to be a lead toddler teacher.

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

What education do you need to become a lead toddler teacher?

What degree do you need to be a lead toddler teacher?

The most common degree for lead toddler teachers is bachelor's degree, with 45% of lead toddler teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Associate, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 16%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a lead toddler teacher?

You should major in early childhood education to become a lead toddler teacher. 31% of lead toddler teachers major in early childhood education. Other common majors for a lead toddler teacher include human development and elementary education.

Most common colleges for lead toddler teachers

Lead toddler teachers often get their degrees at Ashford University, University of Phoenix, and Baker College. Here are the most common colleges for lead toddler teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Lead toddler teacher common collegePercentages
Ashford University12.01%
University of Phoenix11.04%
Baker College5.84%
Western Michigan University5.84%
Ohio State University5.19%

Best majors for lead toddler teachers

Best colleges for lead toddler teachers

The best colleges for lead toddler teachers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A lead toddler 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 toddler 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 toddler teachers.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

6. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$48,350

Enrollment

4,103

20 best online courses for lead toddler teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead toddler teachers

The most affordable schools for lead toddler teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for lead toddler 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 toddler 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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 toddler teachers

The hardest universities for lead toddler teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for lead toddler 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 toddler 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

5. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead toddler teachers

The easiest schools for lead toddler teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, la roche college, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead toddler 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 toddler teachers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

5. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

Average lead toddler teacher salary by education level

Lead toddler teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $34,336 annually. With a Master's degree, lead toddler teachers earn a median annual income of $33,823 compared to $31,999 for lead toddler teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Lead toddler teacher education levelLead toddler teacher salary
Master's Degree$33,823
High School Diploma or Less$31,125
Bachelor's Degree$31,999
Doctorate Degree$34,336
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,396

Lead toddler 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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