SOU Early Childhood Development Program Ranked No. 3 in Nation

October 9, 2014
(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Early Childhood Development program has been ranked No. 3 in the nation for affordability among online bachelor’s degree programs in Education, according to Nonprofit Colleges Online, which released its Students Before Profits Award Oct. 7.
According to a press release from Nonprofit Colleges Online, the Students Before Profits Award was created “to highlight nonprofit colleges and universities that offer quality online programs of study at an affordable price.”
“Online bachelor’s programs in education are relatively rare, and for-profit schools tend to dominate in terms of marketing,” said Brett Gershon, lead editor for the ranking. “We hope this award will draw attention to some of the lesser known, but high-quality and affordable nonprofit options available to prospective education students.”
SOU’s Early Childhood Development program is designed to be a degree completion program, meaning most students complete their general education and approved prerequisite courses at their local community college or online, then transfer to SOU to complete the degree online.
“This flexible schedule is in direct response to the need for this degree by professionals already working in the field of early childhood education,” according to Dr. Steven Thorpe, Interim Dean of SOU’s Division of Education, Health, and Leadership (DEHL). “We are extremely pleased with this ranking and proud of the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff working in the program.”
SOU is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The Early Childhood Development program is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
More information on the Early Childhood Development program is available online at www.sou.edu/education.