2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Arkansas
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for early childhood education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Arkansas
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the early childhood education degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
For return on investment in early childhood education, no school beat Ozarka College this year. Ozarka College is a small public school located in the rural area of Melbourne. In-state tuition and fees average $3,820, while out-of-state students pay about $6,820. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $11,778 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Ozarka College generally make around $48,116. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Arkansas Northeastern College earned it the #2 place for early childhood education. Located in the town of Blytheville, Arkansas Northeastern College is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,570, while out-of-state students pay about $4,250. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $7,944. Early Childhood Education graduates of Arkansas Northeastern College earn a median of $23,575 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,944 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Northwest Arkansas Community College, which ranked #3. Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public school located in the city of Bentonville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,342, compared with $5,238 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,479 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $40,671. That is a strong return on a $12,479 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes South Arkansas Community College one of the best values for early childhood education. Set in the town of El Dorado, South Arkansas Community College is a small public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,324, compared with $5,532 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $15,386 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from South Arkansas Community College generally make around $59,370. That is a strong return on a $15,386 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Arkansas State University Beebe earned it the #5 place for early childhood education. Arkansas State University Beebe is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Beebe. In-state tuition and fees average $3,336, with out-of-state students paying around $5,232. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $7,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Arkansas State University Beebe generally make around $18,025. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Arkansas Community College Batesville landed the #6 spot for early childhood education value this year. Set in the town of Batesville, University Of Arkansas Community College Batesville is a small public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,630, while out-of-state students pay about $4,662. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $9,265. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $64,187. Set against $9,265 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Arkansas State University Newport landed the #7 spot for early childhood education value this year. Set in the rural area of Newport, Arkansas State University Newport is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,312, with out-of-state students paying around $4,752. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $10,925 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $44,500. Set against $10,925 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Arkansas Fort Smith placed #8 among the best values for early childhood education. Located in the city of Fort Smith, University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,334, with out-of-state students paying around $12,182. Students borrow a median of $20,304 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of University Of Arkansas Fort Smith earn a median of $40,565 early in their careers. Set against $20,304 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Arkansas Fort Smith admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff earned the #9 position for value in early childhood education this year. University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Pine Bluff. In-state tuition and fees average $9,375, compared with $17,955 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $26,267 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $35,490. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff admits about 41% of applicants.
Arkansas State University Main Campus ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Arkansas State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Jonesboro. Students from in state pay about $8,090 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,522 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $21,424 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $41,939. Set against $21,424 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Arkansas State University Main Campus admits about 82% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas At Monticello ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. University Of Arkansas At Monticello is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Monticello. Students from in state pay about $9,292 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $14,857. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $15,611. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $44,048. That is a strong return on a $15,611 median debt.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus landed the #12 spot for early childhood education value this year. Located in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $9,960 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,690. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $16,316. Early Childhood Education graduates of Southern Arkansas University Main Campus earn a median of $41,193 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,316 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of Arkansas ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. University Of Arkansas is a very large public school located in the city of Fayetteville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, while out-of-state students pay about $29,966. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,141. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from University Of Arkansas generally make around $49,641. That is a strong return on a $26,141 median debt. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 18 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
