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Major · Education

A bachelor’s pipeline into kindergarten classrooms

Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1209) prepares teachers to work with children ages three through six. About 1,867 students complete it across 115 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $48,274 and entering Kindergarten teacher roles at $61,430 with state licensure required.

Schools offering
115
Annual completions
1,867
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$46k

About this major

Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1209) is a bachelor’s-leaning education major preparing teachers to work with children in formal settings before regular elementary school — typically ages three through six. The CIP definition emphasizes preparation to teach the relevant subject matter at this developmental stage. Coursework includes child development, early literacy and numeracy instruction methods, classroom management for young learners, special-needs identification and intervention, family engagement, early-childhood curriculum design, assessment frameworks, and supervised student teaching in pre-K and kindergarten classrooms. Most accredited programs lead to state teacher licensure with an early-childhood or pre-K-through-3 endorsement.

The major fits students drawn to teaching the youngest learners — the foundational years where literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills are first formally introduced. It rewards patience, comfort with developmentally appropriate practice frameworks, and the documentation discipline that state licensure and IEP compliance require for special-needs students. Day-to-day, graduates work in self-contained pre-K and kindergarten classrooms in public schools, Head Start sites, private preschools, and laboratory schools.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 1,867 students complete this CIP across 115 institutions, with bachelor’s grads at $48,274 and associate’s grads at $38,454 — a $9,800 gap that captures the licensure-required versus aide-track divide. The named bachelor’s target, Kindergarten teachers, except special education, pays $61,430 with -1.6% projected growth and is bachelor’s-required. Preschool teachers at $37,120 (4.1% growth) work at the associate’s credential level. Eastern Gateway Community College’s 735 completions is an outlier reflecting a large national online associate’s pipeline (note: accreditation status was disrupted in 2024 — verify current status). Bachelor’s production is anchored at Georgia State (99), Western Carolina (82), and University of Cincinnati (79).

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
Preschool teachers, except special education $37k +4.1% Associate's degree
Kindergarten teachers, except special education $61k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Education teachers, postsecondary $72k +2.1% Doctoral or professional 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

$46k

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

Associate's

$38k

Bachelor's

$48k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you’re drawn to teaching the youngest learners and the developmental foundations of early literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills, you’re comfortable navigating state-licensure exams (Praxis II) and reciprocity rules (NASDTEC), and you understand the bachelor’s-versus-associate’s split — kindergarten teaching at $61,430 requires the bachelor’s, while preschool work at $37,120 is associate’s-accessible. Public regional universities (Georgia State, Western Carolina, U Cincinnati) anchor bachelor’s pipelines into early-childhood classrooms.

Reasons to pause: the named bachelor’s-target occupation (Kindergarten teachers) is projected to decline 1.6%, signaling enrollment-driven hiring softening in many regions. Public-school teacher salaries follow state-determined step-and-lane scales and grow slowly. Many states require a master’s within 5-10 years of initial licensure for full renewal — plan on graduate study as part of the long-term cost. The Eastern Gateway Community College pipeline (735 completions in this CIP) faced accreditation loss in 2024, so verify current accreditation before enrolling at any school listed in the data. If you’re unsure whether you want classroom teaching specifically, the broader Early Childhood Education CIP (13.1210) keeps more options open.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Eastern Gateway Community College Steubenville, OH 735 0 735
Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 0 99 99
Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 0 82 82
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH 47 32 79
New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, NM 0 59 59
Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM 25 32 57
Bowling Green State University-Firelands Huron, OH 54 0 54
County College of Morris Randolph, NJ 41 0 41
Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ 36 0 36
Athens State University Athens, AL 0 35 35
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Elementary Education and Teaching

31,672 completions/yr

Early Childhood Education and Teaching

19,347 completions/yr

Special Education and Teaching, General

5,456 completions/yr

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching

4,787 completions/yr

Secondary Education and Teaching

4,057 completions/yr

Teacher Education, Multiple Levels

3,430 completions/yr

Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching

2,213 completions/yr

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

252 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
Coursework includes child development from infancy through early elementary, early literacy and numeracy methods, classroom management for young learners, special-needs identification, family engagement, early-childhood curriculum design, assessment, and supervised student teaching in preschool and kindergarten settings. Most programs lead to a state-issued early-childhood or pre-K-through-3 teaching license, with Praxis II or state-equivalent licensure exams as the credential gate.
Will I be licensed to teach when I graduate?
If the program is state-approved for teacher preparation, yes — graduates sit the licensure exam and apply for the appropriate early-childhood or kindergarten endorsement. Always verify state-by-state. A program approved in Ohio may not lead directly to California licensure; reciprocity through NASDTEC interstate agreements helps but specific subject endorsements transfer unevenly. Confirm pathway with each program before enrolling.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The packet names two bachelor’s-accessible BLS occupations: Preschool teachers, except special education ($37,120, 4.1% growth, associate’s as typical credential) and Kindergarten teachers, except special education ($61,430, -1.6% growth, bachelor’s required). The kindergarten role nearly doubles the preschool wage, and the bachelor’s + state license is the credential gap that separates them. Postsecondary education teachers at $72,090 require doctorates.
Why does Eastern Gateway Community College have 735 completions in this CIP?
Eastern Gateway CC ran a large national online associate’s program funneling into pre-K teacher’s aide and CDA-credential pathways for working adults — the 735 figure dwarfs every other school in the data. Note that Eastern Gateway has been in significant operational distress (lost accreditation in 2024); verify current status before enrolling. Public regional universities (Georgia State, Western Carolina, U Cincinnati) anchor the in-person bachelor’s side.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over the associate’s?
For licensed kindergarten teaching, yes — the BLS lists bachelor’s as typical entry, and the wage gap is meaningful: $48,274 bachelor’s versus $38,454 associate’s in the data. Associate’s pathways typically credential teachers’ aides, preschool assistants, or Head Start-CDA-track workers with shorter career ladders. If your goal is licensed K-3 teaching, the bachelor’s is the floor, not optional.
How does this compare to Early Childhood Education and Teaching (CIP 13.1210)?
Early Childhood Education and Teaching (13.1210, 19,347 completions) is the much larger sibling covering birth through age eight — broader age band, more focused on early-development and family-systems content. Kindergarten/Preschool (13.1209) narrows specifically to the ages-three-through-six band aligned with state pre-K and kindergarten licensure. If you want flexibility across early-childhood and primary grades, 13.1210 is broader; if your target is pre-K-3 classroom teaching, 13.1209 is more direct.