Early Childhood Education Degree in Georgia - Best Programs for 2025

What is Early Childhood Education?

After a long struggle to gain academic progress, Georgia is among the top ten states that received high scores for their early childhood education program. It also received a $4 billion fund from the Race to the Top program funded by the US government. Because of this, the state opens the door to many opportunities for those who want to pursue a career in early childhood education. Becoming an Early Childhood Educator can be a rewarding career path for the right candidates and people that have a real desire to teach young children

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Best Georgia Online Programs

Top Ranked Campus & Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Georgia

1

Berry College

Score: 80.28

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $40,416
- Out-of-State:$40,416
Net Price: $25,359
Acceptance Rate: 66%
Retention Rate: 83%

Graduation Rate: 65%
Total Enrollment: 2,360
Undergrad Students: 2,243
Graduate Students: 117
Grads Salary: $66,000
Student-to-faculty: 12:1

2

Columbus State University

Score: 75.87

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,751
- Out-of-State:$16,805
Net Price: $12,902
Acceptance Rate: 88%
Retention Rate: 65%

Graduation Rate: 43%
Total Enrollment: 7,479
Undergrad Students: 6,003
Graduate Students: 1,476
Grads Salary: $69,000
Student-to-faculty: 17:1

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3

Kennesaw State University

Score: 74.93

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,786
- Out-of-State:$17,040
Net Price: $18,079
Acceptance Rate: 68%
Retention Rate: 75%

Graduation Rate: 46%
Total Enrollment: 43,190
Undergrad Students: 38,927
Graduate Students: 4,263
Grads Salary: $70,000
Student-to-faculty: 22:1

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4

Fort Valley State University

Score: 70.17

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,392
- Out-of-State:$16,114
Net Price: $13,016
Acceptance Rate: 43%
Retention Rate: 67%

Graduation Rate: 46%
Total Enrollment: 2,605
Undergrad Students: 2,360
Graduate Students: 245
Grads Salary: $52,000
Student-to-faculty: 20:1

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5

Oconee Fall Line Technical College

Score: 68.5

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,201
- Out-of-State:$5,601
Net Price: $6,097
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 75%

Graduation Rate: 61%
Total Enrollment: 1,819
Undergrad Students: 1,819
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $31,200
Student-to-faculty: 11:1

6

South Georgia Technical College

Score: 65.8

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,782
- Out-of-State:$6,782
Net Price: $3,549
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 66%

Graduation Rate: 57%
Total Enrollment: 1,799
Undergrad Students: 1,799
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $32,400
Student-to-faculty: 17:1

7

Southern Crescent Technical College

Score: 65.58

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,126
- Out-of-State:$5,526
Net Price: $4,354
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 63%

Graduation Rate: 57%
Total Enrollment: 5,018
Undergrad Students: 5,018
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $33,600
Student-to-faculty: 17:1

8

University of North Georgia

Score: 64.46

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,009
- Out-of-State:$15,441
Net Price: $11,721
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Retention Rate: 72%

Graduation Rate: 39%
Total Enrollment: 18,029
Undergrad Students: 17,240
Graduate Students: 789
Grads Salary: $46,800
Student-to-faculty: 18:1

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9

Albany State University

Score: 63.52

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,934
- Out-of-State:$16,656
Net Price: $14,672
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 68%

Graduation Rate: 28%
Total Enrollment: 6,334
Undergrad Students: 5,812
Graduate Students: 522
Grads Salary: $63,000
Student-to-faculty: 20:1

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10

Georgia Northwestern Technical College

Score: 62.1

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,132
- Out-of-State:$5,532
Net Price: $3,421
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 65%

Graduation Rate: 49%
Total Enrollment: 6,141
Undergrad Students: 6,141
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $32,100
Student-to-faculty: 18:1

11

Coastal Pines Technical College

Score: 60.72

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,040
- Out-of-State:$5,440
Net Price: $4,335
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 43%

Graduation Rate: 50%
Total Enrollment: 3,747
Undergrad Students: 3,747
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $31,100
Student-to-faculty: 13:1

12

Georgia Military College

Score: 59.51

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,112
- Out-of-State:$8,112
Net Price: $10,544
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 33%

Graduation Rate: 37%
Total Enrollment: 6,998
Undergrad Students: 6,998
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $48,000
Student-to-faculty: 14:1

13

Georgia Highlands College

Score: 58.46

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $2,944
- Out-of-State:$9,296
Net Price: $6,055
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 58%

Graduation Rate: 19%
Total Enrollment: 4,768
Undergrad Students: 4,768
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $52,000
Student-to-faculty: 20:1

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14

College of Coastal Georgia

Score: 57.64

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,483
- Out-of-State:$10,389
Net Price: $12,117
Acceptance Rate: 98%
Retention Rate: 58%

Graduation Rate: 23%
Total Enrollment: 3,147
Undergrad Students: 3,147
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $57,000
Student-to-faculty: 23:1

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15

Chattahoochee Technical College

Score: 56.64

Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $3,252
- Out-of-State:$5,652
Net Price: $5,586
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Retention Rate: 58%

Graduation Rate: 39%
Total Enrollment: 9,017
Undergrad Students: 9,017
Graduate Students: N/A
Grads Salary: $34,800
Student-to-faculty: 20:1

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Steps to Become an Early Childhood Education Teacher in Georgia

Step 1. Get your Degree

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) is responsible for approving educator preparation programs in Georgia. Programs that they approve require a student teaching or education practicum in a Georgia School. As in most states, Georgia requires that their public-school teachers hold at least a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

The majority of educator preparation programs will take you through an early childhood bachelor’s degree program. However, there are options in you’ve already earned a bachelor’s and don’t want to take the time to earn another. If you are interested in continuing your education, you could enter a teacher preparation program that proffers a master’s degree upon completion. If you are looking to start teaching as soon as possible, you can complete a certificate-only program which will make you eligible for a teaching licensure without earning a second degree.

Please note that the GaPSC does not allow you to be a lead preschool teacher unless you have completed an accepted program such as: Infant/Child and Family Development, Special Education, Family and Consumer Science, Child Development, Early Childhood Care and Education, etc. They will accept a degree in Psychology or Social work if you also have: a Montessori diploma, a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential, An associate degree in Early Childhood Education, A technical college diploma majoring in ECE, or a technical certificate of credit majoring in ECE.

National Online Rankings - Associate in Early Childhood Education National Online Rankings - Bachelors in Early Childhood Education National Online Rankings - Masters in Early Childhood Education

Step 2. Apply for Induction Certificate

Having completed a preparation program in Georgia, you will then need to apply for your Induction Certificate. This will last for around 3 years and cannot be applied for until you are employed at a school. You will be sent a Certificate of Eligibility upon completion of an approved program so that you will be hirable.

At this point the process gets complicated, with different paths for those who complete their program in Georgia, complete them elsewhere but student teach in Georgia, move from out-of-state with their state’s teacher licenses, or are hired to teach before completing their prep program. We’ll focus on the first and last.

If you complete your program in Ga, you must have certain qualifications to move forward with your licensure and receive your Induction Certificate: documentation of approved-program completion, a passing GACE (Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators) score, a passing Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment score, a passing edTPA (a subject-specific assessment) and GACE content assessment score, and you must have completed a course in identifying and educating exceptional children.

For those go-getters who are looking to be hired while still completing your preparation program, there is a specific list of requirements for you to receive your Induction Certificate as well. You must already have earned a bachelor’s degree (within the last 10 years), so this is only an option for those earning a second bachelor’s, a master’s, or a post-graduate certification in teaching. Your other requirements include: a passing GACE and GACE content assessment score, a passing Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment score, and if you want to move forward to the Professional Certificate you must first finish the remainder of your state-approved educator preparation courses and all other requirements.

Step 3. Apply for Your Professional Certificate

After having your Induction Certificate for 3 years, and 3 years of continuous teaching experience, you are ready to apply for your Professional Certificate. This will be valid for a full 5 years and can be renewed. If you did not meet the professional certification requirement, you can renew your Induction Certificate.

In order to maintain your certification in Georgia, you will need to gain continuing education credit in the form of 10 Ga Professional Learning Units, 6 credit hours of college-level courses, or 10 Continuing Education Units. These must be completed before you can renew your Professional Certificate.

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Georgia Teaching Certifications for Educators

For initial certification, the Georgia Department of Education utilizes the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) to conduct tests in order to find out the readiness of the candidates to teach young children.

There is no exemption for this Content Assessment of GACE. Candidates must pass the assessment to obtain certification. They also need to pass the Educator Ethics Exam, a pre-service certification in the state of Georgia.

Induction Certificate

To apply, you need to comply with the following requirements:
- Submit an Application for Certification
- Submit a complete and notarized Verification of Lawful Presence Documentation form
- Submit a complete Employer Assurance Form
- Request an official transcript from your university or college to be sent to GaPSC
Professional Certificate

The only requirement to obtain a Professional Certificate is to have three- year teaching experience.

It is also important to maintain your own Georgia’s Educator Certification by completing at least one of these requirements:
- 10 continuing education units from a GaPSC-approved university or college
- 10 Georgia PLU’s
- 6 hours of college coursework in one semester
For those employed in the public schools in Georgia, the renewal of your certificate is accomplished electronically through your employer’s teaching system.

Potential Careers and Salaries for Graduates

Public Schools
These schools hire a vast number of certified preschool teachers to teach early childhood development programs. They are funded by the state. The basic requirement to apply for a teaching position in these schools is a State Teacher Certification (a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or any similar degree).
Private Childcare
These locally-operated schools are owned by licensed private individuals.
Private Schools
These learning institutions are managed by private organizations and require learners to pay tuition fees. Many of them offer enhancement programs like a second language, along with a comprehensive preschool program.
Head Start Program
Head Start was established to provide the needs of low-income families and their children in 1965. It is funded and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Bureau.The primary objective of this program is to deliver free services to eligible beneficiaries which include preschool education for three-year-old children. The program is done in a group setting, and the teaching staff works on specific schedules.
Community-based Program
In Georgia, there is a national Communities in Schools (CIS) system that works to improve the academic performance of learners across the state. CIS employs teachers, tutors, and volunteers to provide in-school and after-school programs, career preparation, mentoring, and tutoring. It also ensures the delivery of “CIS Model” which has long-term sustainability, fidelity, and scalability.
Faith-based Programs
These schools offer a comprehensive development program with religious education. They are often located in churches and other religious institutions. Their funds come from church members.
Military Programs
The government provides financial aid to students from Georgia who want to pursue a career in the military. This aid is in the form of loans, grants, or subsidies from the federal fund. The institutions train teens to develop their core values such as respect and discipline.

Early Childhood Education Teaching Salaries in Georgia

Occupation	Entry-Level	Mid-Career	Late-Career
Preschool Teacher	$25,000	$26,500	$29,500
Elementary School Teacher	$42,800	$47,400	$61,700
Professor of Education	$49,000	$88,000	$191,000
Special Education Teacher	$32,400	$40,600	$51,500
School Psychologist	$54,200	$61,000	$73,200