2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in South Carolina
[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 25 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 South Carolina
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 University Of South Carolina Aiken this year. Located in the suburb of Aiken, University Of South Carolina Aiken is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,760 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,218. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $24,776 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $38,667. That is a strong return on a $24,776 median debt. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Carolina Upstate is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,588, while out-of-state students pay about $23,090. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $27,375. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $40,081. That is a strong return on a $27,375 median debt. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Coastal Carolina University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Conway, Coastal Carolina University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,640, with out-of-state students paying around $29,628. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Coastal Carolina University generally make around $43,072. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Coastal Carolina University admits about 75% of applicants.
Francis Marion University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Florence, Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,170, while out-of-state students pay about $21,544. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $29,000. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $39,122. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Lander University one of the best values for early childhood education. Lander University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Greenwood. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,700, compared with $21,300 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,075 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of Lander University earn a median of $43,532 early in their careers. Set against $26,075 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lander University admits about 81% of applicants.
Winthrop University placed #6 among the best values for early childhood education. Set in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,678, compared with $28,676 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Winthrop University generally make around $44,482. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Winthrop University admits about 79% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Beaufort came in at #7 for value in early childhood education this year. Located in the town of Bluffton, University Of South Carolina Beaufort is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,730, with out-of-state students paying around $21,776. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Beaufort generally make around $44,659. Set against $27,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
College Of Charleston landed the #8 spot for early childhood education value this year. College Of Charleston is a large public school located in the city of Charleston. In-state tuition and fees average $12,978, with out-of-state students paying around $38,296. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $26,423 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of College Of Charleston earn a median of $44,347 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
South Carolina State University placed #9 among the best values for early childhood education. Set in the town of Orangeburg, South Carolina State University is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,060, while out-of-state students pay about $21,750. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $31,740 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of South Carolina State University earn a median of $39,914 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Wesleyan University placed #10 among the best values for early childhood education. Set in the suburb of Central, Southern Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $29,800. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Southern Wesleyan University generally make around $45,598. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Wesleyan University admits about 100% of applicants.
Bob Jones University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Set in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $22,892. Students borrow a median of $19,250 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $34,152. That is a strong return on a $19,250 median debt.
North Greenville University landed the #12 spot for early childhood education value this year. Set in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $25,800 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,000. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $39,562. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Greenville University admits about 67% of applicants.
Charleston Southern University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the city of Charleston, Charleston Southern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $32,520 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $40,478. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Charleston Southern University admits about 96% of applicants.
Clemson University earned the #14 position for value in early childhood education this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,554, with out-of-state students paying around $40,866. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $25,783 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Clemson University earn a median of $41,080 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,783 median debt. The acceptance rate is 38%.
Columbia College South Carolina earned the #15 position for value in early childhood education this year. Columbia College South Carolina is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $20,054. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early Childhood Education graduates of Columbia College South Carolina earn a median of $39,489 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,000 median debt. Columbia College South Carolina admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Columbia came in at #16 for value in early childhood education this year. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $12,688 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $36,298. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,000. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $43,172. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
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. 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 · 25 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
