Top 75 Best Early Childhood Education Programs in the U.S.

Discover Early Childhood EDU, a leading provider of educational intelligence and insight, is pleased to announce its list of the top 75 Early Childhood Education Programs in the United States. Discover Early Childhood is known for providing accurate, objective rankings that assist students and their families when seeking out the best college program for them. To arrive at the rankings, researchers relied on a host of data points that were aggregated and analyzed for each program. These points were applied according to a proprietary ratings system so that students and their families can use this list to guide them toward the very best early childhood education program for them.

Discover Early Childhood EDU’s researchers were interested in providing prospective students with a list of schools that offer not only top-quality faculty and cutting-edge curriculum, but which also provide a great financial value. In order to achieve this, the website relied on independent numbers that would offer the most objective results.

Discover Early Childhood’s rankings are thus one way of approaching the question of where to pursue one's education; an objective, impersonal measure. Researchers hope that students and their families will use the rankings as a guide for making a more informed decision and not the sole deciding factor. This objective list can be applied in conjunction with personal factors such as budget, academic goals, and long-term professional aspirations so that students can discover the absolute best program options.

For example, the top early childhood education program was found to be at Harvard University. Since Harvard is perhaps the most competitive school in the nation, not every student will be able to attend. Furthermore, Harvard has a lower acceptance rate and some students may not be able to afford the price of education. Students might also find that some schools approach to ECE does not align with their views or long-term plans. Thus, they might use the list as a tool with which to find a program that is both philosophically and financially in-line with their needs.

To determine which programs made the list of the top 75, Discover Early Childhood EDU’s researchers looked at features such as retention rates, graduation rates, overall costs, and average salaries for alumni, among others. Such numbers are quantitative reflections of a program's overall value to their students. However, the question of where to study is not wholly quantifiable. Qualitative factors also affect this choice.

For instance, retention rates show how well a school can not only attract, but also engage new students. It measures how many first-year students return for their second year. Without strong academics, ample resources, and even a fun atmosphere schools are unlikely to retain contemporary students. Some students might highly value a strong retention rate, while others might be more interested in factors such as a student gym and a top-ranked football team. After all, today's students come into most situations armed with loads of information, including rankings from Discover Early Childhood EDU’s educational researchers.

Graduation rates tell an even deeper story. Once students return for their second year, the school gains more credibility when students continue on to earn a diploma from the school at which they started. Furthermore, students will likely have a more enriching experience when they are able to begin and end their college experience with a consistent peer group.

Since finances are an increasingly important part of most students' decision-making process, Discover Early Childhood surveyed each school's tuition and other expenses. Keeping costs low was a priority, but certainly not the only factor. The website researchers weighed the cost of education against the other factors to arrive at the overall value each school offered. For instance, the top school on the list, Harvard, is one of the nation's most expensive schools, but their academic reputation and innovations make the cost of tuition worth the investment for many.

On top of the initial costs, Discover Early Childhood factored in a school's overall return on investment (ROI.) They used average salaries from alumni to determine how current students will fare in their long-term financial futures. Since schools need to also show strong numbers in terms of retention and graduation rates, on top of outstanding online reviews, academic diversity, and more, it was not easy for any institution to rise to the top of this list.

To round out the rankings, researchers also looked at whether or not schools provide online courses. While some may offer an entire ECE degree online, Discover was interested in how well the schools provided for working students, or those who have scheduling issues that require flexible courses.

Discover Early Childhood EDU provides educational guides that cover the nation's top professions, academic programs, and more. Students and working professionals seek them out for sound advice and guidance pertaining to educational and career matters.