Early Childhood Education Associates Degree Online

Credit Hours

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 75% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Start Your Career with Liberty’s Online Early Childhood Education Associate Degree Program

Do you have a passion for helping children succeed from a young age? If so, Liberty University’s Associate of Arts (AA) in Early Childhood Education online degree is designed for you. After graduation, you could play a critical role by working with children to prepare them for their long-term academic success. With this degree, you could help children form emotional, social, and educational skills from an early age.

At Liberty, we seek to help equip our students with techniques to create a lasting, positive impact through child development skills. The School of Education is committed to providing the highest quality Christian education based on the principles of God’s Word. In light of these principles, Liberty University’s early childhood education online degree can prepare you to impact students through curriculum development during their earliest years.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Associate of Arts (AA) in Early Childhood Education.

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600+ Online Degrees
No Standardized Testing for Admission
Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Liberty

Why Choose Liberty’s Early Childhood Education Degree?

Our early childhood education degree is an industry leader in online education programs. The courses throughout this early childhood education degree are taught by professionals with real-world experience in education and child care settings. Our AA in Early Childhood Education is offered 100% online in 8-week sections with no set login times and no required intensives. This allows you to remain active in your job, family, and community without worrying about taking courses on campus.

What Will You Study in Our Early Childhood Education Associate’s Degree Online?

Liberty University’s AA in Early Childhood Education degree is aimed toward individuals with an interest in the education of young children and early learning. With this program, you can gain insight into the foundational principles of education. In our ECE classes online, you can approach the discipline of education from an ethical perspective. This can help establish a firm understanding of early childhood educational development and behavior.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for all undergraduate courses at no additional cost to you. As a full-time student, this could save you an estimated $800-2,000 per year on textbooks!

Undergraduate Full Time	$390/Credit
Undergraduate Part Time	$455/Credit
Military Undergraduate	$250/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for Our Online AA in Early Childhood Education

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9595.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official high school transcripts or official GED test scores.*
- Students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12 credit hours with Liberty with the submission of our High School Self-Certification Form (login required – you will first need to claim your Liberty Account).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system).
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

*Official high school transcript requirement may be waived with college transcripts from an accredited college/university showing at least 12 earned credit hours with an acceptable GPA.

Note: A 2.0 or above cumulative GPA is required for admission in good standing.

Transcript Policies

High School Transcript Policy

Applicants may submit a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of a final official high school transcript in order to enroll in up to 12 credit hours at Liberty University.

Applicants may submit a college transcript showing 12 or more credits from an accredited institution and a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of high school transcripts.

Students must submit official high school transcripts, or official college transcripts showing at least 12 credit hours earned with an acceptable grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution, in order to register for additional courses.

The official high school transcript, GED requirement, and High School Self-Certification Form can be waived if the applicant has earned an associate degree or higher.

Final transcripts must reflect all coursework and final grades received for grades 9-12, a graduation date, and an overall GPA. (Mailed transcripts must be in a sealed and unopened envelope.)

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Military Transfers

International Applicants

If you are an international applicant, you may be required to have your international transcripts reviewed. Information regarding the transcript evaluation process for international students can be found by visiting NACES.

Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $250 per credit hour for undergraduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $565 per course)*
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
Potential college credit for military training

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

View Military Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education

What is the best online school for early childhood education?

If you’re seriously considering the child care profession, you’ve probably reviewed a variety of online college’s early childhood education associates degrees. But which school is the best fit for you and your goals?

Liberty University may be the answer – here are some of the benefits of our AA in Early Childhood Education online:

Credibility – Liberty is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) – so you can rest assured that you’re earning your degree from a reputable institution.
Affordability – Our associates in early childhood education was ranked in the top 3 on AffodableColleges.com’s list of most affordable online associate degrees in early childhood education.
Flexibility – Because you can take all your ECE classes online, you don’t have to worry about attending any on-campus courses.

How much does it cost to get a degree in early childhood education?

Now that you’re sure you would like to pursue an early childhood education degree online, you may be wondering about the cost. This is an important question because you need to be sure that you will receive a return on your investment. Just as you invest time and resources into a university when you pursue a degree, you expect that university to invest in you through expert professors, a rigorous curriculum, and a supportive atmosphere.

Because our early childhood development degree was ranked as one of the most affordable early childhood development associate degrees by AffordableColleges.com in 2020, you can feel confident in our prices at Liberty University. With no discounts, your cost per credit hour is only $390 for full-time enrollment. However, your cost could go down even more if you fall into any of the following categories:

Active duty military, veteran, or military spouse
Eligible for a scholarship or another form of tuition assistance
Emergency responder

Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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App Fee Waived This Week*

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Early Childhood Education Degree Online (AA) Foundational Early Childhood Education

Start Your Career with Liberty’s Online Early Childhood Education Associate Degree Program

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s Early Childhood Education Degree?

What Will You Study in Our Early Childhood Education Associate’s Degree Online?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

Not sure what to choose?

Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for Our Online AA in Early Childhood Education

Admission Requirements

Transcript Policies

Military Transfers

International Applicants

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Frequently Asked Questions for the Online Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education

What is the best online school for early childhood education?

How much does it cost to get a degree in early childhood education?

Are you ready to change your future?

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