2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Kentucky
[Early Childhood Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/early-childhood-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for early childhood education students.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in early childhood education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
Murray State University earned the #1 spot for value among early childhood education schools in Kentucky. Set in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,900 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,836. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $22,324 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $40,669. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Morehead State University one of the best values for early childhood education. Set in the town of Morehead, Morehead State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,024, with out-of-state students paying around $14,980. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $25,292. Early Childhood Education graduates of Morehead State University earn a median of $42,941 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,292 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Western Kentucky University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,652, with out-of-state students paying around $27,000. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Western Kentucky University generally make around $41,250. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Kentucky University admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of The Cumberlands came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Set in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,875. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $22,782. Early Childhood Education graduates of University Of The Cumberlands earn a median of $38,571 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of The Cumberlands admits about 99% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Kentucky earned it the #5 place for early childhood education. Located in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, compared with $34,140 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $23,250. Early Childhood Education graduates of University Of Kentucky earn a median of $42,048 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
University Of Louisville came in at #6 for value in early childhood education this year. Set in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,136, while out-of-state students pay about $29,482. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $23,584 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from University Of Louisville generally make around $47,558. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Campbellsville University landed the #7 spot for early childhood education value this year. Located in the town of Campbellsville, Campbellsville University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,998. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $23,125. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $36,469. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Campbellsville University admits about 80% of applicants.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
