Best Child Development Schools Near Atascadero, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Atascadero, California has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs. Atascadero has a population of about 29,735. Median household income is $88,830 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $77,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Atascadero

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Atascadero, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Atascadero city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Atascadero. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Fielding Graduate University

Santa Barbara, CA 91.1 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 101.0 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,896
Avg net price $13,630/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 101.9 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,247
Avg net price $13,663/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 105.7 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 146.5 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Los Angeles Mission College

Sylmar, CA 151.7 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,834
Avg net price $13,380/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA 157.9 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,379
Avg net price $21,413/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 168.4 miles from Atascadero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California child development page.

Child Development Wages Near Atascadero

Atascadero is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area (BLS area code 42020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $46,200 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $42,541
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $62,060 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $57,145
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $68,560 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $63,131
Childcare Workers $42,860 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $39,466
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,550 CA statewide $54,834
Social and Human Service Assistants $54,960 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $50,608
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $77,290 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $71,169
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $57,560 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $53,002

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Atascadero at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,735 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $88,830 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Atascadero-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Atascadero, CA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs near Atascadero. The closest is Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA (10.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fielding Graduate University (91.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Atascadero?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Atascadero are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($77,290), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($68,560), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($62,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Luis Obispo instead of Atascadero?

San Luis Obispo, CA is 14.9 miles from Atascadero and has its own set of local child development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Atascadero an affordable place to study child development?

Atascadero’s median household income of $88,830 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atascadero while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Child Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Atascadero

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Atascadero:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Child Development Schools in California (2026)