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Preschool teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a preschool teacher. Preschool teachers usually study early childhood education, elementary education, or human development. 52% of preschool teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 47,404 real preschool teacher resumes to see exactly what preschool teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for preschool teachers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online preschool teacher courses to help get the education required to be a preschool teacher.
There are certain preschool teacher certifications that you should consider. These preschool teacher certifications include Child Development Associate (CDA) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a preschool teacher?
What degree do you need to be a preschool teacher?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 23%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a preschool teacher?
- Elementary Education, 13%
- Human Development, 11%
- Psychology, 10%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for preschool teachers
| Preschool teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 17.01% |
| Ashford University | 7.70% |
| Ohio State University | 6.18% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.13% |
| Liberty University | 5.92% |
Best majors for preschool teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early Childhood Education | 20.5% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 12.6% |
| 3 | Human Development | 10.7% |
| 4 | Psychology | 10.2% |
| 5 | Education | 7.5% |
Best colleges for preschool teachers
The best colleges for preschool teachers are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Rochester.
A preschool 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 preschool 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 preschool teachers.
1. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Enrollment
34,637
5. Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$48,350
Enrollment
4,103
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Enrollment
31,441
10. California State University - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,310
Enrollment
28,439
20 best online courses for preschool teachers
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5. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for preschool teachers
The most affordable schools for preschool teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for preschool 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 preschool 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. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
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. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for preschool teachers
The hardest universities for preschool teachers to get into are Vanderbilt University, Boston University, and University of Rochester.
Some great schools for preschool 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 preschool 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,321
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
10. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for preschool teachers
The easiest schools for preschool teachers to get into are D'Youville College, holy names university, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a preschool 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 preschool teachers.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. College of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,021
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
10. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
Average preschool teacher salary by education level
| Preschool teacher education level | Preschool teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,369 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,915 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,224 |
| Doctorate Degree | $44,151 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,980 |
Preschool 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