2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Kansas
[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for early childhood education students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in Kansas
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 Washburn University the best value for a degree in early childhood education in Kansas. Set in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,945 in tuition and fees, compared with $20,949 for out-of-state students. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $22,945 in student loans. Early Childhood Education graduates of Washburn University earn a median of $46,519 early in their careers. Set against $22,945 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Wichita State University earned it the #2 place for early childhood education. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,684, while out-of-state students pay about $19,869. Students borrow a median of $30,250 to complete the early childhood education program here. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $43,764. Set against $30,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at University Of Kansas, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,102 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $30,432. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $24,776. Soon after graduation, early childhood education degree recipients from University Of Kansas generally make around $45,405. That is a strong return on a $24,776 median debt. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Students looking for strong value in early childhood education will find it at Newman University, which ranked #4. Newman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Wichita. In-state tuition and fees average $35,500. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $43,296. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southwestern College earned it the #5 place for early childhood education. Southwestern College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Winfield. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,822. Early Childhood Education graduates carry a median of $26,874 in student loans. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $44,511. That is a strong return on a $26,874 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Early Childhood Education Rankings
View All Early Childhood Education Rankings >
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
