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Major · Education

A bachelor’s pipeline into early-intervention classrooms

Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs (CIP 13.1015) prepares students to teach infants and pre-school children with special learning needs. About 2,223 students complete it across 112 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $51,354 and entering Special education preschool teacher roles at $62,190 with state licensure.

Schools offering
112
Annual completions
2,223
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$51k

About this major

Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs (CIP 13.1015) is a bachelor’s-leaning major that prepares teachers to work with infants and pre-school children who have learning needs or disabilities. The CIP definition organizes coursework around diagnosing learning disabilities, developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs), teaching and supervising special education students, special-education counseling, and applicable laws and policies — federal IDEA, state implementation regulations, and Section 504 frameworks. Most accredited programs lead to state teacher licensure with an early-childhood special-education endorsement, with supervised practica in birth-to-3 programs, public preschool special-education classrooms, or Head Start sites.

The major fits students who want hands-on teaching work with very young children and the developmental-disability framework behind it. It rewards patience, comfort with family-systems work, and the documentation discipline that IEP-driven instruction requires. Day-to-day, graduates typically work in self-contained or co-taught preschool classrooms, in early-intervention home visits, or as Head Start special-needs coordinators. Many states require master’s degrees within a defined window for full licensure renewal.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 2,223 students complete this CIP across 112 institutions, with associate’s grads at $41,141 and bachelor’s at $51,354 — a $10,200 gap. The primary BLS-tracked occupation, Special education teachers, preschool, pays $62,190 with 1.4% projected growth and is bachelor’s-required. The associate’s production is heavily California community college — Pasadena City (116), Moorpark (83), Bakersfield (78), Riverside City (78), Fullerton (76), Mt San Jacinto (75), and East LA (71) — reflecting a strong CC-to-CSU transfer pipeline. On the bachelor’s side, Bowling Green State (139), Grand Canyon (130), and Rowan University (86) lead.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Education teachers, postsecondary $72k +2.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Special education teachers, preschool $62k +1.4% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$51k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$41k

Bachelor's

$51k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you want hands-on classroom work with very young children, you’re comfortable with the developmental-disability framework and the family-systems work that comes with it, and you’re willing to navigate the state-licensure landscape (Praxis II, IEP regulations, NASDTEC reciprocity). The packet shows a $10,200 bachelor’s premium and a primary tracked role at $62,190 — modest but stable, with state-determined salary scales that reward longevity. California community-college pipelines into CSUs are particularly clean for students who want a transfer route.

Reasons to pause: the wage figure is modest and won’t move quickly — public preschool special-education teachers are paid on state-determined scales, and the named occupation grows just 1.4%. Many states also require a master’s within 5-10 years of initial licensure for full renewal, so plan on graduate study as part of the cost. If you’re drawn to the policy or research side rather than direct classroom work, a master’s in education policy, school psychology, or speech-language pathology may be a stronger fit. Verify program accreditation and state-licensure approval before enrolling — a program that doesn’t lead to your target state’s license is a non-starter.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH 0 139 139
Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ 0 130 130
Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA 116 0 116
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 0 86 86
Moorpark College Moorpark, CA 83 0 83
Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA 78 0 78
Riverside City College Riverside, CA 78 0 78
Fullerton College Fullerton, CA 76 0 76
Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto, CA 75 0 75
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA 71 0 71
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Early Childhood Education and Teaching

19,347 completions/yr

Special Education and Teaching, General

5,456 completions/yr

Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs

589 completions/yr

Special Education and Teaching, Other

242 completions/yr

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities

147 completions/yr

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Speech or Language Impairments

90 completions/yr

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness

83 completions/yr

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities

59 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
Coursework includes child development across infancy and early childhood, identifying and assessing learning disabilities, designing Individual Education Plans (IEPs), behavioral support strategies, family engagement, special education law (IDEA, Section 504), and supervised classroom practica. The CIP definition lists IEP development, special education counseling, and applicable laws as core content. Most programs build toward state licensure for pre-K or early-childhood special education endorsement.
Will I be licensed to teach with this degree?
If the program is state-approved for teacher preparation in your state, yes — you graduate eligible to sit the relevant licensure exam (Praxis II in many states) and apply for the early-childhood special-education endorsement. Always verify state-by-state: a program approved in Ohio may not lead to direct licensure in California without additional steps. Out-of-state graduates frequently use NASDTEC interstate agreements for reciprocity.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The primary BLS occupation is Special education teachers, preschool ($62,190 median, 1.4% growth, bachelor’s required). Other tracked roles include Postsecondary education teachers ($72,090, doctoral required, 2.1% growth). Real-world destinations include early-intervention specialists in birth-to-3 programs, preschool special education classroom teachers in public schools, Head Start special-needs coordinators, and private special-education school staff.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over an associate’s?
The bachelor’s is the credential. The packet shows associate’s grads earning $41,141 versus bachelor’s at $51,354 — a $10,200 gap — and the named target occupation requires a bachelor’s. Associate’s pathways for this CIP often function as preschool teacher’s aide credentials or transfer platforms into the bachelor’s; California community colleges (Pasadena, Moorpark, Bakersfield, Fullerton, Riverside, Mt San Jacinto, East LA) dominate the associate’s production.
How does this compare to general Special Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1001)?
Special Education and Teaching, General (13.1001, 5,456 completions) covers special-education teaching across age bands (K-12 and early childhood). This CIP (13.1015) narrows the lens to early childhood — birth through pre-K — with developmental and family-systems content tailored to that age. If you want flexibility across grade bands, the general CIP keeps more doors open. If you’re committed to early-intervention or preschool special-education, this CIP is more direct.
Where are the strongest programs concentrated?
Bowling Green State (139 completions) and Grand Canyon University (130) lead the bachelor’s side, with Rowan University (86) anchoring the Northeast. The associate’s side is dominated by California community colleges — Pasadena City (116), Moorpark (83), Bakersfield (78), Riverside City (78), Fullerton (76), Mt San Jacinto (75), and East LA (71) — reflecting strong CC-to-CSU transfer pipelines into California’s preschool special-education workforce.