Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

Types of Degrees Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many kindergarten/preschool education & teaching graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	1,445
Bachelor’s Degree	767
Basic Certificate	314
Master’s Degree	106
Graduate Certificate	64
Undergraduate Certificate	16
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, kindergarten/preschool education and teaching majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Majors

Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Majors

A major in kindergarten/preschool education and teaching prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities for Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Majors

A major in kindergarten/preschool education and teaching will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with kindergarten/preschool education and teaching:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	8.0%	$55,470
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	10.5%	$29,780

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching?

The major attracts more women than men. About 96% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of kindergarten/preschool education and teaching majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	22
Black or African American	163
Hispanic or Latino	128
White	377
International Students	8
Other Races/Ethnicities	69

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching. About 1.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

Some degrees associated with kindergarten/preschool education and teaching may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to kindergarten/preschool education and teaching have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	14.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	5.3%
Some College Courses	6.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	5.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	47.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	9.5%
Master’s Degree	13.3%

Online Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	12	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	45	8
Bachelor’s Degree	18	7
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	23	1
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to kindergarten/preschool education and teaching.

Major	Number of Grads
Elementary Education	41,711
Early Childhood Education	30,639
Secondary Education	10,948
Teacher Education	9,411
Teacher Development & Methodology	6,323
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching	3,018
Adult & Continuing Education	922
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods	379
Montessori Teacher Education	304
Online Educator/Online Teaching	153
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching	101
International Teaching and Learning	24
Waldorf/Steiner Teacher Education	1

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Vgrigas under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.