Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education
Earn your doctoral degree in three years or less!
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TOTAL COST
$23,914*
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NEXT START DATE
Apr 07, 2025
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COMPLETION TIME
36 Months†
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AVG. SALARY PREMIUM
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SEMESTER CREDITS
64
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- Why ACE?
- Tuition
- Program Details
- Start Dates
- Courses
- Featured Faculty
- Admission Requirements
Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education
Step into a leadership role within your field of early childhood development and learning. Great for those aspiring for roles within administration or higher education, you’ll immerse yourself in in-depth exploration and research within the field, analyzing and applying seminal and current research to real-world practices. You’ll also gain the skills needed to lead and support fellow professionals. Through a tailored approach to the dissertation process, you can complete the program in as little as three years.
This program does not lead to licensure.
Why ACE?
Low-Cost, High Quality
You deserve a great return on your educational investment, and we deliver master’s degrees at a total average cost of $9,500. Our graduates enjoy an average pay increase of over $21,000.¹ We also award over $1.1M in scholarships and grants each year.
Quality You Expect
We are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our faculty work in the industries where you work and are committed to your success, contributing to our 86% graduation rate.¹ Our curriculum equips you with practical strategies you can apply right away, as well as skills to help you advance your career.
Flexibility You Need
Our virtual campus and convenient start dates provide you the flexibility you need to achieve your goals at a time and place that works with your busy schedule. Our student support services are available 24/7 and tutoring is included at no additional cost.
1Source: Student Right to Know
Tuition
We believe in full transparency with our total cost of attendance. No hidden fees. No surprises along the way.
Total Cost Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education |
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Total Tuition 64 semester credits x $306 per credit |
$19,584 |
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Fees $100 Application Fee$150 Conferral Fee $1200 Dissertation Fee (6 Courses X $200 per Course) $2880 Technology and Library Fee (64 Semester Credits X $45 per Credit) |
$4,330 |
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Total Program Cost |
$23,914* |
Find a plan that fits your budget.
When We Say Low Cost, We Mean It

Austin Peay State University
Grand Canyon University
University of Phoenix
Walden University
Source: Internal Research Completed June 2024
Program Details
Focus of Study
Curriculum and Instruction
General Track
Higher Education
Health and Wellness
Instructional Leadership
Instructional Technology
Leadership
Literacy
Public and Nonprofit Leadership
Special Education
Second Language Instruction
STEM Education
The Ed. D. in Early Childhood Education provides an in-depth approach to research-based methods and theories in the field of early childhood development and learning. The degree emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices and research-based strategies to promote the learning needs of young children. Students completing the Ed. D. will gain experience as a scholar practitioner with the necessary skills to support other professionals in the early childhood field as well as support educational settings centered on early childhood. This program is not designed for licensure and is best suited for individuals currently in the early childhood profession. The focus of study allows students to select an additional concentration which will support their professional goals. Students will engage in scholarly research throughout the coursework to support their final dissertation.
Program Outcomes
- Design developmentally appropriate curriculum methods to support diverse learning needs and developmental growth of young children across all developmental domains.
- Analyze, synthesize, and apply seminal and current research to support scholarly work and classroom practices.
- Examine and implement appropriate assessments to support developmental growth for individual student needs.
- Construct models to support positive collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders in the early childhood field.
- Develop strategies to support advocacy efforts in early childhood.
- Evaluate the role of professional development and lifelong learning for early childhood professionals.
- Conduct research to support leadership, scholarship, best practices and address real world needs in the early childhood field.
Start Dates
With flexible start dates, you can begin your program when it’s best for you.
April 07, 2025 Term
Apr 04, 2025
Payment Due
Apr 04, 2025
Application Due
Apr 07, 2025
Term Start
Apr 11, 2025
Unregister/Cancel Deadline
May 11, 2025
Term End
May 19, 2025 Term
June 09, 2025 Term
July 07, 2025 Term
August 18, 2025 Term
September 08, 2025 Term
September 29, 2025 Term
November 10, 2025 Term
January 12, 2026 Term
February 23, 2026 Term
Courses
Here are just some of the courses you’ll take when working towards this program. Visit the College Catalog to see all courses.
LEAD6001 |
Introduction to Advanced Studies |
1 Semester Credits |
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LEAD6011 |
Leadership as a Reflective Practice |
1 Semester Credits |
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LEAD6021 |
Leadership Seminar |
1 Semester Credits |
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EC6013 |
Research and Trends in Early Childhood Education |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6023 |
Theories and Foundations of Child Development |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6033 |
Collaborative Partnerships in Early Childhood Practices |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6043 |
Early Childhood Assessment and Intervention |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6053 |
Advocacy and Leadership in Early Childhood |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6073 |
Language and Literacy in Early Childhood |
3 Semester Credits |
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EC6083 |
Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood |
3 Semester Credits |
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Featured Faculty
Our real-world coursework is taught by experienced faculty.
Admission Requirements
ACE General Admission Requirements
Program Admission Requirements
International Transcript Requirements
English as a Second Language Applicants
*This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax will apply where required by law.
State of California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)
It is a state of California requirement that a student who pays his or her tuition is required to pay a state-imposed assessment of zero dollars and zero cents ($0.00) per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of institutional charges, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars, for the California Student Tuition Recovery Fund. For more information and to see if you must pay the state-imposed assessment for Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) click here.
†This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, a satisfactory pace, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.