Find the cheapest route to an early childhood education master’s online with our comprehensive guide for this valuable degree. Those who work in early childhood know how challenging and engaging the work can be and delving deeper into skills and techniques for developmentally appropriate teaching can reap big rewards. For the most affordable options, choose one of our 2018 Best Buys.
We have research all 68 online degree programs from 59 schools to find the most affordable options, giving you the opportunity to save more than $25,000 on your degree. Working in early childhood education helps our future citizens at the earliest ages, giving them a good foundation to learn throughout life. If you value your work with young children, a master’s degree can help you master the knowledge that will make you a stellar educator. The best part is you don’t need to spend a fortune to get this credential!
Average Cost (In-state): ~$18,000
Least Expensive: American College of Education ~$8,160
Most Expensive: Mercy College ~$34,652
Our data-driven research creates a truly reliable system of scientific rankings. There’s no fancy formulas here. We meticulously calculate total full-time tuition—including any fees—for the most accurate total cost. Our rankings cannot be bought, and therefore factually showcase the cheapest early childhood education master’s online. The online early childhood education degrees listed above the gray dividing line are official 2018 “Best Buys” and cost less than the national average.
Most Affordable Early Childhood Education Master’s Online
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | American College of Education | (IN) | $8,160.00 | All Students |
2 | Arkansas State University | (AR) | $9,122.50 | All Students |
3 | Missouri State University | (MO) | $9,440.00 | All Students |
4 | Northwestern College Iowa | (IA) | $11,125.00 | All Students |
5 | The University of Montana | (MT) | $11,389.80 $28,682.40 | In-State Out-of-State |
6 | Albany State University | (GA) | $11,960.00 | All Students |
7 |  University of Colorado Denver | (CO) | $12,310.00 $14,560.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
8 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | (MN) | $13,035.00 $11,550.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military |
9 | Emporia State University | (KS) | $13,410.96 $18,089.52 | In-State Out-of-State |
10 | Gratz College | (PA) | $13,455.00 | All Students |
11 | University of North Dakota | (ND) | $13,483.84 | All Students |
12 | Clemson University | (SC) | $13,800.00 | All Students |
13 | Stephen F. Austin State University | (TX) | $14,490.00 $18,810.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
14 | Jacksonville State University | (AL) | $14,588.00 | All Students |
15 | Marshall University | (WV) | $14,607.00 | All Students |
16 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | (WI) | $14,616.00 $30,290.70 | In-State Out-of-State |
17 | University of North Alabama | (AL) | $14,752.00 | All Students |
18 | University of West Alabama | (AL) | $14,886.00 | All Students |
19 | Texas A & M University - Commerce | (TX) | $14,968.80 $29,908.80 | In-State Out-of-State |
20 | Kennesaw State University | (GA) | $15,208.00 | All Students |
21 | Columbus State University | (GA) | $15,236.00 | All Students |
22 | Concordia University - Nebraska | (NE) | $15,300.00 | All Students |
23 | SUNY at Albany | (NY) | $15,300.30 $18,090.30 | In-State Out-of-State |
24 | Trident University International | (CA) | $15,450.00 $9,900.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military |
25 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | (AL) | $15,550.00 | All Students |
26 | University of Northern Iowa | (IA) | $15,726.00 | All Students |
27 | University of South Alabama | (AL) | $15,800.00 | All Students |
28 | Auburn University at Montgomery | (AL) | $16,232.00 $16,592.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
29 | Jackson State University | (MS) | $16,632.00 | All Students |
30 | Northern Michigan University | (MI) | $16,678.00 | All Students |
31 | University of Mississippi | (MS) | $16,700.00 | All Students |
32 | Northwestern State University of Louisiana | (LA) | $17,100.00 | All Students |
33 | University of Mobile | (AL) | $17,275.00 | All Students |
34 | Kansas State University | (KS) | $17,337.00 | All Students |
35 | University of Dayton | (OH) | $17,580.00 | All Students |
36 | Troy University | (AL) | $17,784.00 | All Students |
37 | Northern Arizona University | (AZ) | $17,910.00 | All Students |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Concordia University Wisconsin & Ann Arbor | (WI) | $18,140.00 | All Students | |
Mercer University | (GA) | $18,480.00 | All Students | |
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $18,768.00 $21,903.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
California University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $18,768.00 $19,428.00 $15,258.00 | In-State Out-of-State Military | |
Spring Arbor University | (MI) | $19,423.00 | All Students | |
Eastern Washington University | (WA) | $19,557.37 | All Students | |
Clarion University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $20,268.00 $23,073.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
 Grand Canyon University | (AZ) | $20,890.00 $16,210.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
East Tennessee State University | (TN) | $21,132.00 $28,260.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
 Champlain College | (VT) | $21,420.00 | All Students | |
 Capella University | (MN) | $21,738.00 $19,654.20 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
California Baptist University | (CA) | $21,987.00 | All Students | |
Portland State University | (OR) | $22,135.00 $31,855.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
 Walden University Master of Science in Early Childhood Studies / Early Childhood Public Policy & Advocacy 36,14 Master of Science in Early Childhood Studies / Teaching Adults in the Early Childhood Field 36,14 | (MN) | $22,675.00 $19,285.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
University of Dayton | (OH) | $22,765.00 | All Students | |
 Northcentral University | (CA) | $22,900.00 $15,910.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
University of Toledo | (OH) | $23,359.20 $38,875.20 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Norfolk State University | (VA) | $24,302.00 $49,366.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Brenau University | (GA) | $24,330.00 | All Students | |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania | (PA) | $24,662.22 $22,834.02 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Walden University | (MN) | $24,850.00 $21,121.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
Grand Canyon University | (AZ) | $27,460.00 $21,220.00 | In-State/Out-Of-State Military | |
Erikson Institute | (IL) | $33,000.00 | All Students | |
Pacific Oaks College | (CA) | $33,155.00 | All Students | |
Mercy College | (NY) | $34,652.00 | All Students |
14 Program is no longer accepting new students.
Accreditation & Licensing Note: As in all careers with state-specific licensure requirements, prospective applicants should contact the education department in their state of residence and ensure the desired program qualifies a graduate for teacher licensure. Not all programs listed lead to licensure. Applicants can also learn more by clicking the links to request information about each degree program. To qualify for a ranking, a program must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table.
36 Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
Rankings Note: These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Fall 2018 review of regionally accredited early childhood education master’s online. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online master degree programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules. The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online degree including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note: Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a master’s degree that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
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