When it comes to offering the best early childhood education degree programs, Purdue University ranks among the top universities across the nation.
The university’s Bachelor of Science program in Early Childhood Education and Exceptional Needs, which is designed for students who want to teach young children with special needs, has been ranked one of the best in the country for 2019 by the Bachelor’s Degree Center website.
“One of the best early childhood education bachelors’s in the Midwest, Purdue’s BS prepares students for two Indiana certifications: the Early Childhood Generalist, and the Exceptional Needs licensure,” reads the center’s ranking report.
Following Purdue, Indiana University’s BS in Education-Early Childhood Education concentration ranked second, while the University of Georgia ranked third.
The Degree Center took graduation rates, employment rates, cost, reputation and salary expectations into account as factors to rank the universities.
When it comes to offering the best online bachelor’s program in childhood education, West Virginia University’s online Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Early Studies program ranked first among the top 15 colleges in the country.
The University of Wyoming’s early childhood education degree and Texas Tech University’s online BS in Early Child Care ranked second and third respectively.
However, for students looking for more affordable options to study childhood education, the degrees offered by Winston-Salem State University, Western New Mexico University and University of Montana Western are the cheapest in the nation.
“Many experts in child development would argue that the earliest years of life are the most crucial for intellectual, social, and emotional development, particularly for students from disadvantaged homes, underserved populations, or with disabilities and special needs,” Degree Center’s editors said in a release.
“As demand continues and increases, traditional and online, accelerated and affordable early childhood education bachelor’s programs are the way for childcare experts and educators to get their start and begin making a difference in the lives of children,” they added.
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