To date, we’ve asked 32 current and past early childhood education students about their happiness with their degree. Turns out, they rate it average.

You don’t have to choose a major right away, but at some point you will.

To help you reach the decision that is right for you, we asked students who have pursued a early childhood education degree to respond to questions concerning five dimensions of the educational track they chose:

  • Course material: Were they interested in the material they learned?
  • Intellectual fulfillment: Did they find the coursework intellectually stimulating?
  • Job prospects: Did they leave the program with job opportunities?
  • Personality: Was the degree a good fit for their personality?
  • Overall fit: Were they happy with the program overall?

We examined their responses and combined the rankings to give us an average satisfaction score across all students. This doesn't necessarily reflect how satisfied you would be with a early childhood education degree, but it’s a starting point to help you evaluate your options.

How satisfied are early childhood education students compared to other degrees?

Overall, early childhood education students rate their satisfaction with their degree a 3.3 out of 5. This is standard compared to other degrees which average a rating of 3.28 across all degrees. For context, early childhood education students rate their happiness similarly to students in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Related Studies and Communication and Media Studies, Other.

Here are other degrees that have a similar satisfaction rating to early childhood education

DegreeAvg Grad SalarySatisfaction
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$61,691
Project Management$72,229
Neuroscience and Related Studies$50,984
Biological and Biomedical Sciences$64,430
Early Childhood Education$41,405
Communication and Media Studies, Other$65,619
Animal Sciences$59,205
Physical Sciences$79,805
Marketing$79,977
Communications, Journalism, and Related Studies$66,186

Let's break that down further.

Are early childhood education students satisfied with what they’re learning?

We asked students about their satisfaction with their course material and overall intellectual fulfillment. Here’s what they said:

We asked graduates how interesting they found the course material to be. Their response was:
3.8 out of 5 stars
31 ratings
5 stars
29%
4 stars
35%
3 stars
26%
2 stars
6%
1 stars
3%
We asked graduates how intellectually fulfilling they found the degree. Their response was:
3.6 out of 5 stars
31 ratings
5 stars
23%
4 stars
35%
3 stars
29%
2 stars
6%
1 stars
6%

These ratings are meant to give you an indication about what other people enrolled in early childhood education experienced. While their input is useful, keep in mind that different people have had vastly different experiences, all of which were impacted by their personal motivations, professors, and specific curriculum. Always keep your own goals at the center of your decision-making process when it comes to something as significant as your education.

Did early childhood education graduates leave school with good job prospects?

Of course, working towards a degree is also about pursuing your desired career. Here’s what early childhood education grads had to say about their job prospects:

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their job prospects. Their response was:
3.3 out of 5 stars
29 ratings
5 stars
21%
4 stars
24%
3 stars
28%
2 stars
17%
1 stars
10%

These responses represent a wide range of opinions. Things like extracurricular activities, internships and work placements can set you up for success after graduation.

Were early childhood education students happy with their degree overall?

This rating takes into account all factors: how demanding the program is, whether graduates felt it was worthwhile, and how fulfilling they found their educational experience.

We asked graduates how satisfied they were with their degree as a whole. Their response was:
3.3 out of 5 stars
32 ratings
5 stars
28%
4 stars
9%
3 stars
31%
2 stars
25%
1 stars
6%

As you consider this information and input from others, remember above all that your choice should be based on your interests, goals, passions, and abilities. Consider the future and give yourself time. If you’re feeling unsure, click here to take our career assessment and see what path could be right for you.

Career Paths

Learn about your career prospects after graduation.

Read about Career Paths