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Pre-K Teacher Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a pre-k teacher. Pre-k teachers usually study early childhood education, elementary education, or education. 57% of pre-k teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 11,935 real pre-k teacher resumes to see exactly what pre-k teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for pre-k teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online pre-k teacher courses to help get the education required to be a pre-k teacher.
There are certain pre-k teacher certifications that you should consider. These pre-k teacher certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and Microsoft Certified Educator (MCE).
What education do you need to become a pre-k teacher?
What degree do you need to be a pre-k teacher?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a pre-k teacher?
- Elementary Education, 16%
- Education, 11%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for pre-k teachers
| Pre-K Teacher Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.47% |
| Ashford University | 10.31% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.53% |
| Liberty University | 5.53% |
| Kean University | 4.91% |
Best majors for pre-k teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | 22.8% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 15.9% |
| 3 | Education | 10.9% |
| 4 | Human Development | 8.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 8.1% |
Best colleges for pre-k teachers
The best colleges for pre-k teachers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A pre-k 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 pre-k 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 pre-k 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for pre-k teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for pre-k teachers
The most affordable schools for pre-k teachers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for pre-k 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 pre-k teachers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
10. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,587
Cost of Attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pre-k teachers
The hardest universities for pre-k teachers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for pre-k 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 pre-k 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. 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
5%
SAT Average
1,520
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,422
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
23%
SAT Average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pre-k teachers
The easiest schools for pre-k 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 pre-k 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 pre-k 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. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,046
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
999
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 pre-k teacher salary by education level
| Pre-K Teacher education level | Pre-K Teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,349 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,936 |
| Doctorate Degree | $46,974 |
Pre-K Teacher 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