2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in New Jersey
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong early childhood education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for early childhood education students.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in early childhood education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
Camden County College tops our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools in New Jersey. Set in the suburb of Blackwood, Camden County College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,320, compared with $4,416 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,750 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of Camden County College earn a median of $21,956 early in their careers. Set against $8,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Raritan Valley Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Branchburg, Raritan Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,664 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,584. Students borrow a median of $11,400 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Raritan Valley Community College generally make around $47,248. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Passaic County Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the suburb of Paterson, Passaic County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,300 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,560 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $9,581. Early Childhood Education graduates of Passaic County Community College earn a median of $28,957 early in their careers. Set against $9,581 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at William Paterson University Of New Jersey earned it the #4 place for early childhood education. William Paterson University Of New Jersey is a large public school located in the suburb of Wayne. In-state tuition and fees average $15,704, with out-of-state students paying around $25,344. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $24,671. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from William Paterson University Of New Jersey generally make around $59,208. That is a strong return on a $24,671 median debt. William Paterson University Of New Jersey admits about 90% of applicants.
Rowan University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,574, while out-of-state students pay about $26,932. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $24,488 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Rowan University earn a median of $64,645 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Rider University came in at #6 for value in early childhood education this year. Rider University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lawrenceville. In-state tuition and fees average $41,120. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,466. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $57,818. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rider University admits about 79% of applicants.
The College Of New Jersey landed the #7 spot for early childhood education value this year. Located in the suburb of Ewing, The College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,632, with out-of-state students paying around $25,752. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,000. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $58,526. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 62%.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
