Best Online Associate in Early Childhood Education

Best Online Associate in Early Childhood Education

Find top-ranked online associate in early childhood education degree programs to help students take the first step towards entry-level education and childcare positions.

The Top 10 Online Associate in Early Childhood Education Degrees

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Key Takeaways

  • The associate degree in early childhood education is an affordable way to get started on your college education. The typical associate degree will take about two years to complete.

  • Many community colleges and two-year schools offer both traditional and online degree programs for students pursuing their associate degree in early childhood education.

  • Earning an online associate degree in early childhood education can prepare you for a variety of entry level jobs in your field. Many students also continue into a bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education or a related area.

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Early Childhood Education Degrees

Why get an associate in early childhood education?

Future childcare workers, teachers, and tutors can take the first step toward a career in education by enrolling in an early childhood education program. The early childhood education program is an excellent degree for any student interested in working with young children in an early childhood education setting. Online students pursuing a degree in early childhood education will typically have access to the same curriculum, content, and courses as traditional early childhood education students.

Early childhood education associates with gain the skills and qualifications necessary to provide learning support, education, and pedagogy in early childhood settings.

Early childhood education graduates will qualify to work as early childhood educators, preschool teachers and as teacher’s assistants in public or private schools. Students who earn an online associate degree in early childhood education may also qualify to work full-time teaching young children in the private school setting. Students interested in teaching in elementary schools will typically be required to continue into early childhood education programs at the bachelor’s degree level.

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What courses will I need to take to get an associate in early childhood education?

Early childhood education programs will typically be composed of both general education courses and core courses geared toward early childhood educators Students who pursue the associate degree in early childhood education online will learn foundational skills like curriculum planning, child guidance, children’s literature, language development, child growth, and the basic theories behind supporting short- and long-term student success.

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Are online classes the best way to earn an associate in early childhood education?

Though early childhood education is a hands-on field, the online associate degree in early childhood education is a popular option among working adults. The online program offers a flexible and accessible option for early childhood education students interest in balancing current workplace responsibilities with the pursuit of their early childhood education associates. If you do choose pursue your associate in early childhood education online, be sure that your school has proper regional accreditation from the colleges and schools commission in your region.

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How long does it take to get an associate in early childhood education?

A typical associate in early childhood program will require the completion of 60 credit hours. Students will typically take about two years to earn this degree, whether completing a brick and mortar degree program or pursuing their early childhood education online.

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What can you do with an associate in early childhood education good for?

The associate in early childhood education can be a direct pathway to entry-level education and childcare positions, or it can serve as a stepping stone toward an array of bachelor’s degree in early childhood education programs, as well as a teaching certificate.

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Learn more about how to major in education.

Best Online Associate in Early Childhood Education Degree Programs

An associate degree is a great way for many to start their educational journey, but you may want to also consider an online bachelor’s in early childhood education.

Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare Salaries by Percentile in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare for each percentile in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

SVG Attribution: Wikipedia

Total Employed: 56430
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15%
50%
15%
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10th Percentile25th Percentile75th Percentile90th Percentile

Best Online Associate in Early Childhood Education Degree Programs

  1. #1

    University of Cincinnati

    Cincinnati , OH
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    85%

    Graduation

    73%

    Student body

    34K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1225/26

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Care & Education (ECE)
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  2. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    65%

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1160/22

    Online Degrees

    AAS in early childhood education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  3. #4

    Purdue University Global

    West Lafayette , IN

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    29%

    Student body

    49K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Development
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  4. #5

    St. Petersburg College

    St. Petersburg , FL

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    36%

    Student body

    17K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  5. #6

    Bay Path University

    Longmeadow , MA

    Tuition + fees

    $36K

    Acceptance

    75%

    Graduation

    51%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1055/27

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Leadership
    • Required Credits: None Reported
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  6. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    15K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Management
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  7. #11

    Montgomery College

    Rockville , MD

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    29%

    Student body

    13K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education Technology
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  8. #12

    Delaware Valley University

    Doylestown , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $41K

    Acceptance

    93%

    Graduation

    54%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1047/21

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 64-65
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  9. #13

    Arkansas Tech University

    Russellville , AR
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    94%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    8K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Education Prek
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  10. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    44%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  11. Tuition + fees

    $2K

    Graduation

    40%

    Student body

    9K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Development And Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  12. #16

    Monroe Community College

    Rochester , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    22%

    Student body

    8K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education

    Concentrations

    • Degree Completion
    • Required Credits: 62
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  13. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    26%

    Student body

    11K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  14. Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    33%

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood
    • Required Credits: 63
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  15. Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 36
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  16. #20

    Lebanon Valley College

    Annville , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $47K

    Acceptance

    78%

    Graduation

    68%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1165/23

    Online Degrees

    Associate in Specialized Technology in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 79
    • Completion time: 20 months
    • Format: Online
  17. Tuition + fees

    $2K

    Graduation

    17%

    Student body

    11K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Associate in Arts

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Studies
    • English
    • History
    • Elementary Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AA in Liberal Arts

    Concentrations

    • General
    • Administration of Justice
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Communication
    • Early Childhood Education
    • Elementary Education
    • English
    • Ethnic
    • Gender and Transborder Studies
    • Fashion Design
    • History
    • Political Science
    • Social Services
    • Sociology
    • Translation and Interpretation Studies
    • Required Credits: 60-64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  18. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    45%

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  19. Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    35%

    Student body

    6K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60-64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  20. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    11%

    Student body

    3K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  21. #25

    College of Southern Idaho

    Twin Falls , ID

    Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    27%

    Student body

    4K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  22. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Medical

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 61
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  23. Tuition + fees

    $17K

    Acceptance

    85%

    Graduation

    43%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1010/19

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  24. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    100%

    Graduation

    37%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    990/19

    Online Degrees

    ATC in Early Childhood Development
    • Required Credits: 52
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Early Childhood Development
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  25. Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood
    • Required Credits: 60-62
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  26. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    40%

    Student body

    7K

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  27. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    13%

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  28. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    31%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Education

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 61
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  29. #33

    Bakersfield College

    Bakersfield , CA

    Tuition + fees

    $1K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    15K

    Online Degrees

    AS-T in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  30. Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    41%

    Student body

    4K

    Online Degrees

    Associate in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  31. Tuition + fees

    $2K

    Graduation

    29%

    Student body

    8K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 65
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Early Childhood Education - Licensure Option
    • Required Credits: 70
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Early Childhood Education - Non-Licensure Option
    • Required Credits: 70
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  32. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    33%

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education

    Concentrations

    • Career Option
    • Required Credits: 66-67
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  33. Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    50%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Development
    • Required Credits: 45-58
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  34. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    27%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Education

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  35. #39

    Johnston Community College

    Smithfield , NC

    Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    43%

    Student body

    3K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education

    Concentrations

    • Licensure
    • Non-Licensure
    • Professional
    • Required Credits: 62-65
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  36. Tuition + fees

    $30K

    Acceptance

    49%

    Graduation

    47%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education: Infant to Grade 4
    • Required Credits: 62
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  37. Tuition + fees

    $1K

    Graduation

    33%

    Student body

    4K

    Online Degrees

    AS-T in Early Childhood Education

    Concentrations

    • Transfer
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
    AS in Early Childhood Education Local Degree
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  38. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    4K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Education

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Care And Education (Ec13)
    • Required Credits: 72
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  39. Tuition + fees

    $2K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    4K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60-65
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60-71
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    AA in Educational Studies Early Childhood
    • Required Credits: 60-65
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  40. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1025/20

    Online Degrees

    AS in Early Childhood
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 2-3 years
    • Format: Online
  41. Tuition + fees

    $3K

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Education

    Concentrations

    • Early Childhood Care And Education
    • Required Credits: 72
    • Completion time: 24 months
    • Format: Online
  42. #46

    Dawson Community College

    Glendive , MT

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    <1K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  43. #47

    Kaskaskia College

    Centralia , IL

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Graduation

    31%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  44. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    41%

    Student body

    1K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  45. Tuition + fees

    $4K

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    5K

    Online Degrees

    AAS in Early Childhood Development
    • Required Credits: 65
    • Completion time: 2 years
    • Format: Online
  46. Tuition + fees

    $5K

    Graduation

    41%

    Student body

    2K

    Online Degrees

    AA in Early Childhood Teacher Licensure
    • Required Credits: 64
    • Completion time: 18 months
    • Format: Online
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Online ECE Programs Looking for You

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Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Resources for Online College-Bound Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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