2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Virginia
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong early childhood education education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 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 Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in early childhood education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools
Our analysis ranked Old Dominion University the best value for a degree in early childhood education in Virginia. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,750 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,780. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $26,001. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $53,989. Set against $26,001 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at George Mason University, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $23,529 in student loans. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $63,131. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
Virginia Commonwealth University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in early childhood education, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,720, while out-of-state students pay about $39,884. Students borrow a median of $23,813 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $57,000. Set against $23,813 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Longwood University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the town of Farmville, Longwood University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,740, with out-of-state students paying around $27,980. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $25,649 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $43,800. That is a strong return on a $25,649 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Regent University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Regent University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,650 in tuition and fees. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $31,250 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Regent University earn a median of $33,534 early in their careers. Set against $31,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 38%.
James Madison University came in at #6 for value in early childhood education this year. Set in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,966, with out-of-state students paying around $31,312. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $21,218. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from James Madison University generally make around $52,997. Set against $21,218 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. James Madison University admits about 72% of applicants.
University Of Virginia Main Campus earned the #7 position for value in early childhood education this year. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $23,118 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $18,627. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $54,106. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 17%.
Liberty University earned the #8 position for value in early childhood education this year. Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $29,249 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $32,945. Set against $29,249 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Liberty University admits about 99% 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. 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 · 11 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.
