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Best Master's in Preschool Education Programs by Local Teacher Pay

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the median wage for elementary teachers in each program metro area, from BLS. The top 10 out of 10 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Kean University

    Union, NJPublic

    • 5Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Early Childhood Education (M.A.), Advanced Curriculum and Teaching option
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Kean University offers a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education with an Advanced Curriculum and Teaching option, an on-campus program accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and approved by the State of New Jersey. The range of pathways, from Advanced Curriculum and Teaching to an Administration in Early Childhood and Family Studies option and a P-3 endorsement route including a modified alternate route for non-degree candidates, lets the degree serve both classroom teachers deepening their craft and educators moving toward leadership. Preparation for New Jersey P-3 certification anchors the program in a clear licensure outcome. Graduate assistantships at Kean's on-campus child care center give candidates hands-on experience with young children as part of their study. The NAEYC accreditation signals alignment with recognized standards in the field. It reads as a program that keeps theory close to daily practice with children. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in New Jersey.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    Felician University

    Lodi, NJPrivate nonprofit

    • 2Master's/yr
    • $96,900Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Arts in Education: Early Childhood & Special Education (P-3 & Teacher of Students with Disabilities)
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Felician University offers a Master of Arts in Education pairing Early Childhood (P-3) with Teacher of Students with Disabilities, a dual-licensure design that prepares candidates to hold both a general early childhood and a special education endorsement in New Jersey. The hybrid format and the fact that classroom observation and practice teaching begin immediately upon enrollment mark this as an initial-licensure pathway for people entering teaching rather than a credential for veterans. Its signature efficiency is time, folding two endorsements into roughly two years where single-licensure routes at many schools can stretch across five or six. That structure suits career-changers and new educators who want to be classroom-ready and broadly credentialed as quickly as possible. The immediate fieldwork keeps theory tied to real practice from the first term. Graduates emerge equipped to serve inclusive early childhood settings. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in New Jersey.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  3. 3

    Westfield State University

    Westfield, MAPublic

    • 2Master's/yr
    • $79,640Metro teacher pay
    • Early Childhood PreK-2 Master's Degree (M.Ed.), Professional
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Westfield State University offers a professional Early Childhood PreK-2 Master of Education built specifically for teachers advancing within their careers rather than entering the field. The 34-credit program follows a single Early Childhood PreK-2 track and schedules courses in the evening and late afternoon, a cadence that clearly accommodates educators already working full time. A required written comprehensive examination signals a rigorous, standards-anchored culmination. It leads to Massachusetts Professional Licensure in Early Childhood Education for teachers who already hold an Initial license and have three years of classroom experience, with a separate Initial-licensure version available for those not yet licensed. The program carries full accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, awarded in 2020, reinforcing its role as a credible step toward advanced state licensure. It is a master's degree in preschool education at the master's level, based in Massachusetts.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Springfield, MA, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,640, roughly $82,906 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  4. 4

    Emporia State University

    Emporia, KSPublic

    • 19Master's/yr
    • $56,450State teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Early Childhood Unified (Birth-Grade 3)
    • Online
    About the program

    Emporia State University offers a Master of Science in Early Childhood Unified spanning birth through grade 3, a fully online, asynchronous program that unifies general and special education early childhood curriculum without dividing into separate tracks. Its 30 credit hours can be completed in as few as 12 months, and the coursework is punctuated by two field-based clinical courses, one home-based for birth to age 3 and one for preschool through grade 3, plus a capstone project. Because admission requires an existing teaching license, the degree functions as advanced preparation rather than a route to initial licensure. It holds accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and regional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission. The unified design and accelerated online format suit licensed teachers deepening their expertise across inclusive early childhood settings. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in Kansas.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $56,450, roughly $62,675 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  5. 5

    University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

    Minneapolis, MNPublic

    • 5Master's/yr
    • Master of Education (MEd) in Early Childhood Education (Licensure)
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The University of Minnesota offers a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education with licensure, an on-campus program that pairs graduate study with hands-on teacher preparation. Candidates choose an Early Education track leading to a birth-through-grade-3 license or an Early and Elementary Education track that adds a K-6 license, letting them calibrate the breadth of their credentials. The program leans heavily into clinical experience, placing candidates in dual student-teaching settings across an early childhood classroom and a K-3 classroom while granting access to the university's Child Development Laboratory School. A capstone project rounds out the degree, and the program reports 100% job placement within one year of graduation. That combination of dual placements, laboratory-school access, and flexible licensure options makes it a robust launch into Minnesota early childhood teaching. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in Minnesota.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  6. 6

    Furman University

    Greenville, SCPrivate nonprofit

    • 3Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Education, Early Childhood Education concentration
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Furman University offers a Master of Arts in Education with an Early Childhood Education concentration, a two-year on-campus program whose educator preparation carries accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The curriculum traces child development and teaching methods from infancy through the early primary years, giving candidates a wide developmental lens rather than a narrow grade focus. Its inclusion of summer study across the two years suits educators who want an immersive, cohort-paced experience grounded in the liberal arts setting Furman is known for. The concentration emphasizes curriculum and instructional method, characterizing it as a program for those deepening their command of how young children learn. CAEP accreditation signals adherence to recognized standards for educator preparation. The on-campus format keeps candidates in close contact with faculty throughout the sequence. As a master's degree in preschool education, it adds to the master's-level preschool education options in South Carolina.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  7. 7

    Georgia State University

    Atlanta, GAPublic

    • 18Master's/yr
    • UACM Elementary Education Certification, ESOL Endorsement and Master's Program
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Georgia State University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching leading to UACM Elementary Education Certification with an ESOL Endorsement, a cohort-based program admitting up to 25 master's students each year around an explicit urban-education focus. Spanning 36 credit hours over five to six semesters, it moves a tight cohort through initial preparation together, a structure that reads as intensive and community-oriented rather than self-paced. The elementary track covers PreK through grade 5 and layers an ESOL endorsement onto the core certification, preparing teachers for linguistically diverse classrooms. Graduates earn initial Georgia teaching certification in elementary education plus the ESOL endorsement. The on-campus, cohort model and urban emphasis make it a strong fit for aspiring teachers committed to city schools. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in Georgia.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 18 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  8. 8

    Jackson State University

    Jackson, MSPublicHBCU

    • 34Master's/yr
    • Master of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education
    • Online
    About the program

    Jackson State University offers a Master of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education delivered fully online through JSU Online, an arrangement that speaks directly to practicing early childhood educators who need to keep working while they study. The program runs a minimum of 36 semester hours and sits within the department that houses Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Reading, signaling an emphasis on curriculum, literacy, and developmentally grounded teaching rather than administration. Its willingness to accept up to nine transfer hours completed within the past eight years makes it accommodating to teachers who have already begun graduate coursework elsewhere. The institution carries SACSCOC accreditation, and the coursework is structured around deepening classroom practice with young children. This is a program built for the working teacher advancing content expertise on a flexible timeline. It is a master's degree in preschool education at the master's level, based in Mississippi.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 34 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  9. 9

    Albright College

    Reading, PAPrivate nonprofit

    • 2Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in PreK-4, with Teacher Certification option
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Albright College offers a Master of Education in PreK-4 through its School of Professional Studies, with an optional teacher certification track for candidates pursuing initial licensure. The hybrid program spans a minimum of 33 credit hours plus a practicum, a professional seminar, and two student teaching or internship courses, a sequence that embeds substantial supervised classroom time alongside the coursework. Its one-class-at-a-time design, intended to be completed in about one year, is built for working adults who want a focused, accelerated route through the degree. The embedded student teaching and certification option make this a genuine pathway into the early elementary classroom rather than a purely theoretical credential. The professional-studies home reinforces its orientation toward practicing and aspiring teachers. Graduates finish prepared for PreK through fourth grade instruction. It is a master's degree in preschool education at the master's level, based in Pennsylvania.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  10. 10

    New Jersey City University

    Jersey City, NJPublicOnline available

    • 10Master's/yr
    • Early Childhood Education (M.A.T.)
    • Online
    About the program

    New Jersey City University offers a fully online Master of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education, a 39-credit program that leads to the New Jersey Preschool through Grade Three Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing. The M.A.T. framing and the licensure outcome position this as a teaching-track degree aimed at candidates seeking initial certification in early childhood, with a related option combining P-3 with Teacher of Students with Disabilities for those drawn to inclusive classrooms. Delivering the coursework online broadens access for adults balancing work and study across the region. Following a merger effective July 1, 2026, the institution now operates as Kean Jersey City and the program is administered under Kean University. Prospective students should expect the same P-3 certification focus under the new institutional name. The program remains oriented toward classroom readiness for New Jersey preschool and primary settings. This program offers a master's degree in preschool education in New Jersey.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 10 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site

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