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Early childhood education programs in Mississippi

11 early childhood programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

10 schools offer these early childhood education programs, and Mississippi has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Childcare workers look after children's needs and help their early development. What they need varies by state and employer, from no formal education to a certificate in early childhood education; most often states ask for the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which takes coursework, experience and a period of being observed working with children.1 The CDA takes a high school diploma or GED, 120 hours of early childhood education, 480 hours of work with the age group you choose within three years, a portfolio and the CDA exam.2

In Mississippi, all 11 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 11 programs here are early childhood education (associate degree, 9 programs), early childhood education program (level not stated, 1 program) and CDA (Child Development Associate) course (1 program).

See the 11 programs

How much do early childhood education programs cost in Mississippi?

Two-year degrees (9 programs)
$7,900 to $8,100most of them, usually 60 to 64 weeks long
Other early childhood education programs (1 program)
$2,400the one with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Left out
6 in 10 of Mississippi's programs report exactly 100%, far more than in other states
Working 6 months later
66%
Earned a year, estimated
about $16,600
Length
60 to 64 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Mississippi may also offer early childhood education programs. How these figures are made

Are there free early childhood education programs in Mississippi?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 11 early childhood programs in Mississippi approved for WIOA funding

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11 programs

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech

    Hinds Community College - Jackson Campus

    Jackson

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Hinds Community College - Jackson Campus, JacksonEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$18,400
    Price if you pay yourself$8,100
    More details about Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech at Hinds Community College - Jackson Campus
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    70%
    Earned in a quarter
    $4,599
    Length
    60 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,425
    Students counted
    361
    Earned a year, estimated
    $18,400
    Price if you pay yourself
    $8,100

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech

    Southwest Mississippi Community College

    Summit

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southwest Mississippi Community College, SummitEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$15,800
    Price if you pay yourself$7,900
    More details about Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech at Southwest Mississippi Community College
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    68%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,945
    Length
    64 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,100
    Students counted
    117
    Earned a year, estimated
    $15,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $7,900

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech

    Hinds Community College

    Utica

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Hinds Community College, UticaEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$17,500
    Price if you pay yourself$8,100
    More details about Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech at Hinds Community College
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    77%
    Earned in a quarter
    $4,378
    Length
    60 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,425
    Students counted
    102
    Earned a year, estimated
    $17,500
    Price if you pay yourself
    $8,100

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Copiah-Lincoln Community College

    Wesson

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Copiah-Lincoln Community College, WessonEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$14,700
    Price if you pay yourself$6,930
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Copiah-Lincoln Community College
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    52%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,683
    Length
    64 weeks, 49 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,025
    Students counted
    63
    Earned a year, estimated
    $14,700
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,930

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech

    Hinds Community College - Rankin County

    Pearl

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Hinds Community College - Rankin County, PearlEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$22,800
    Price if you pay yourself$8,100
    More details about Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech at Hinds Community College - Rankin County
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    59%
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,708
    Length
    60 weeks, 18 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $2,425
    Students counted
    48
    Earned a year, estimated
    $22,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $8,100

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Copiah-Lincoln Community College - Simpson County

    Mendenhall

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Copiah-Lincoln Community College - Simpson County, MendenhallEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$13,800
    Price if you pay yourself$6,930
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Copiah-Lincoln Community College - Simpson County
    Finished
    Left out
    Working at 6 months
    63%
    Earned in a quarter
    $3,451
    Length
    64 weeks, 49 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,025
    Students counted
    21
    Earned a year, estimated
    $13,800
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,930

  • Early childhood education program (level not stated)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech

    Praying Handz Inc.

    Pinola

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Praying Handz Inc., PinolaEarly childhood education program (level not stated)In person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$480
    More details about Child Care Worker/Child Dev Tech at Praying Handz Inc.
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    52 weeks, 32 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $480

  • CDA (Child Development Associate) courseIn personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Cda -Childhood Dev Assoc. (Certificate)

    School of Champions Development & Learning Academy

    Itta Bena

    High school diploma or equivalent

    School of Champions Development & Learning Academy, Itta BenaCDA (Child Development Associate) courseIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,400
    More details about Cda -Childhood Dev Assoc. (Certificate) at School of Champions Development & Learning Academy
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    10 weeks, 12 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,400

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Southwest Mississippi Community College

    Summit

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Southwest Mississippi Community College, SummitEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$7,900
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Southwest Mississippi Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,100
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $7,900

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Pearl River Community College

    Poplarville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Pearl River Community College, PoplarvilleEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$8,420
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Pearl River Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    64 weeks, 48 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $1,000
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $8,420

  • Early childhood education (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Early Childhood Education

    Jones County Junior College

    Ellisville

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Jones County Junior College, EllisvilleEarly childhood education (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$9,715
    More details about Early Childhood Education at Jones County Junior College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 28 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $750
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $9,715

How to pay for early childhood education programs in Mississippi

WIOA funding can pay for early childhood education programs in Mississippi

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for early childhood education programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for early childhood education programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Early childhood education programs in Mississippi

programs with a price cost under $10,000
11 of 11
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
29th of 33
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
0 of 20
early childhood programs here, against the typical state's 8
11 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the early childhood education programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Early childhood education programs in Jackson, McComb, Greenwood and other Mississippi cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Mississippi

Where the Mississippi early childhood education program numbers come from

Which Mississippi early childhood education programs are on this list?

These are the early childhood education programs Mississippi approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Mississippi offers.

How the prices and results of Mississippi early childhood education programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Mississippi figures?

We leave out the share who finished for Mississippi: 6 in 10 of its programs report exactly 100%, far more than in other states.

Sources for the facts about early childhood education programs in Mississippi

Show the 10 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers
  2. Council for Professional Recognition: CDA Credentialing Process Overview (February 2026)
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List