2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in North Dakota

[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.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value early childhood education schools.
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2026 Best Value Early Childhood Education Schools in North Dakota
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
Leading the list is Minot State University, our #1 best value for early childhood education in North Dakota. Located in the city of Minot, Minot State University is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,702. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $25,823. Early Childhood Education graduates of Minot State University earn a median of $48,425 early in their careers. Set against $25,823 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Mayville State University one of the best values for early childhood education. Located in the rural area of Mayville, Mayville State University is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $7,979 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,237. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $27,000. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $45,438. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Mary came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. Located in the rural area of Bismarck, University Of Mary is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $22,356. Typical student debt for early childhood education graduates is $27,000. Early Childhood Education graduates of University Of Mary earn a median of $44,806 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of North Dakota came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value early childhood education schools. University Of North Dakota is a large public school located in the city of Grand Forks. Students from in state pay about $10,951 in tuition and fees, compared with $15,570 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the early childhood education program here. Early-career early childhood education graduates make about $48,453. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
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 · 9 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.