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Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)

This degree prepares teachers for the years before school and the first years of primary school.

Illustration of a person working as early Childhood Teacher
How long it takes
4 years
full time
Entry ATAR
From 56.4
Lowest offered at Western Sydney University, 2023
How you can study
Online or on campus
Includes a work placement
Leads on to
Early Childhood Teacher
$99,100 median pay, In demand
Taught by
7 providers
NSW, QLD

Is this course right for you?

What the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • a genuine interest in how young children learn and grow
  • patience and a calm approach to everyday challenges
  • good communication skills with children, families and colleagues
  • a willingness to reflect on your own practice and keep learning

Before you start

Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Early Childhood Teacher

    Early childhood teachers plan and run play-based learning programs for children from birth to about five, in the years before formal school starts.

    What else you need

    Choose an ACECQA-approved early-childhood-teacher qualification for the intended age range and jurisdiction. Complete placements, screening and applicable teacher-registration requirements; educator certificates and diplomas are different routes. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$99,100

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

Where you can study this course

There are 7 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

  • Western Sydney University

    Campbelltown, NSW

    4.2from 1,872 Google reviews

    ATAR
    56.4 lowest
    (65.45 median, 2023)
    How you study
    On campus
    (full or part time)
    Website for Western Sydney University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Staff are friendly and supportive
    • Good academic experience and learning

    What to weigh up

    • Admin can be slow to respond
  • Macquarie University

    North Ryde, NSW

    4.4from 1,202 Google reviews

    How you study
    On campus
    (full or part time)
    Course page for Macquarie University (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Lecturers care and help students understand

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Student support can be hard to reach
  • University of Southern Queensland

    Springfield, Toowoomba, QLD

    4.1from 504 Google reviews

    How you study
    Online or on campus
    (full or part time)
    Next intake
    Feb 2027
    Website for University of Southern Queensland (opens in a new tab)

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
  • The University of Sydney

    Camperdown/Darlington, NSW

    4.5from 2,084 Google reviews

    ATAR
    66.8 lowest
    (77.05 median, 2024)
    How you study
    On campus
    (full or part time)
    Website for The University of Sydney (opens in a new tab)
  • Queensland University of Technology

    Kelvin Grove/ Online, QLD

    4.5from 896 Google reviews

    ATAR
    70.35 lowest
    (74.35 median, 2026)
    How you study
    Online or on campus
    (full or part time)
    Next intake
    Feb 2027
    Fee
    $6,160 a year
    (Government-supported place)
    Website for Queensland University of Technology (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Students are friendly and approachable

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Some find staff less helpful
  • CQUniversity

    4 campuses, QLD

    4.1from 999 Google reviews

    How you study
    Online or on campus
    (full or part time)
    Next intake
    Jul 2027
    Website for CQUniversity (opens in a new tab)

    What students like

    • Staff are friendly and supportive

    What to weigh up

    • Enrolment and admin can be slow
    • Enquiries can go unanswered
  • University of the Sunshine Coast

    Sunshine Coast, QLD

    4.5from 591 Google reviews

    How you study
    On campus
    (full or part time)
    Next intake
    Jul 2027
    Fee
    $4,736 a year
    (Government-supported place)
    Website for University of the Sunshine Coast (opens in a new tab)

What you’ll learn

The main topics covered in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood).

  • Child development
  • Play based teaching
  • Literacy, maths and science
  • The arts in education
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Professional practice placements

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Who arranges the work placement, and how many hours does it involve?
  5. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Course Seeker, run by the Tertiary Admissions Centres and the Australian Government Department of Education. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.