Palm Desert, California has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $8,093 to $20,693 per year for indexed programs. Palm Desert has a population of about 51,551. Median household income is $79,508 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $82,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Child Development Schools to Palm Desert
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Palm Desert, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Palm Desert 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Palm Desert.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,020
Avg net price
$15,728/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California child development page.
Child Development Wages Near Palm Desert
Palm Desert is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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 |
$46,010 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$43,242 |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare |
$63,060 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$59,267 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers |
$63,230 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$59,427 |
| Childcare Workers |
$40,210 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$37,791 |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool |
$59,550 |
CA statewide |
$55,968 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants |
$48,370 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$45,461 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education |
$82,550 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$77,585 |
| Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other |
$55,280 |
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
$51,955 |
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.
Palm Desert at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
51,551 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$79,508 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
39.9% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
106.4 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Palm Desert-Area Cities With Child Development Programs
- Indio, CA – 7.8 mi away (402,166 pop)
- La Quinta, CA – 7.8 mi away (40,956 pop)
- Cathedral City, CA – 8.8 mi away (54,056 pop)
- Palm Springs, CA – 10.6 mi away (47,689 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 13.3 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited child development schools are near Palm Desert, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Palm Desert. The closest is College of the Desert in Palm Desert, CA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Diego Christian College (71.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying child development roles near Palm Desert?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Palm Desert are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($82,550), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($63,230), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($63,060). 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 Indio instead of Palm Desert?
Indio, CA is 7.8 miles from Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert an affordable place to study child development?
Palm Desert’s median household income of $79,508 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Desert 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 Palm Desert
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Palm Desert:
- History programs in Palm Desert, CA
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- Sociology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Anthropology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Political Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Philosophy programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Mathematics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- General Studies programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Forensic Psychology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Data Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Electrical Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Software Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Engineering Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Geography programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Aviation Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Policy programs in Palm Desert, CA
- International Relations programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Chemistry programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Physics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Neuroscience programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Spanish programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Film programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Fashion programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Architecture programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Urban Planning programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Industrial Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Game Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Instructional Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Higher Education Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Global Health programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Art History programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Creative Writing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Environmental Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Nutrition programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Theology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Library Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Medical Assistant programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Health Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Entrepreneurship programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Interior Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Photography programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Sustainability Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Journalism programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Relations programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Communication Disorders programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Speech Pathology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Technical Communication programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Professional Writing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Strategic Communications programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Business Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Construction Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Economics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Financial Technology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Health Information Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- International Business programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Operations Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Real Estate programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Recreation Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Retail Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Risk Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Statistics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Taxation programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Corrections programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cybercrime programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Emergency Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Fire Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Forensic Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Legal Services programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Legal Studies programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Paralegal programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Security Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Innovation programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Software Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- User Experience programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Web Development programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Machine Learning programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Data Analytics programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Public Health programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Human Resources programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Project Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Special Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Homeland Security programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Marketing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Finance programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Kinesiology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Sports Management programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Elementary Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Biology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Communications programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Graphic Design programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Human Services programs in Palm Desert, CA
- MBA programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Nursing programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Business Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Computer Science programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Psychology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Education programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Engineering programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Technology programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Healthcare programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Accounting programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Social Work programs in Palm Desert, CA
- Counseling programs in Palm Desert, CA
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.
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