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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Learn more about how to major in education.
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.
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
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
73%
Student body
34K
Median SAT/ACT
1225/26
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
99%
Graduation
62%
Student body
79K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/25
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
38%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1160/22
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
29%
Student body
49K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
36%
Student body
17K
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
51%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1055/27
Tuition + fees
$8K
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
22%
Student body
1K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
16%
Student body
19K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
39%
Student body
15K
Tuition + fees
$10K
Graduation
29%
Student body
13K
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
54%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1047/21
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
46%
Student body
8K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
44%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
40%
Student body
9K
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
22%
Student body
8K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
26%
Student body
11K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
33%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$11K
Graduation
23%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
68%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1165/23
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
17%
Student body
11K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
45%
Student body
5K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
35%
Student body
6K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
11%
Student body
3K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
27%
Student body
4K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
21%
Student body
5K
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
43%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1010/19
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
37%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
990/19
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
23%
Student body
5K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
40%
Student body
7K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
13%
Student body
5K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
31%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$1K
Graduation
21%
Student body
15K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
41%
Student body
4K
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
29%
Student body
8K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
33%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
50%
Student body
1K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
27%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
43%
Student body
3K
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
49%
Graduation
47%
Student body
1K
Tuition + fees
$1K
Graduation
33%
Student body
4K
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
46%
Student body
4K
Tuition + fees
$2K
Graduation
18%
Student body
4K
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
38%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1025/20
Tuition + fees
$3K
Graduation
39%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
39%
Student body
<1K
Tuition + fees
$8K
Graduation
31%
Student body
2K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
41%
Student body
1K
Tuition + fees
$4K
Graduation
24%
Student body
5K
Tuition + fees
$5K
Graduation
41%
Student body
2K
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.
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.