Best Child Development Schools Near Sonora, CA (2026)

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

Sonora, California has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $50,974 per year for indexed programs. Sonora has a population of about 4,965. Median household income is $62,621 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $82,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Sonora

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Sonora, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sonora 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 Sonora. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 83.6 miles from Sonora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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

#2

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 88.2 miles from Sonora
  • 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

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#3

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA 93.7 miles from Sonora
  • 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

#4

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 93.9 miles from Sonora
  • 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

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#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 95.7 miles from Sonora
  • 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

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 120.3 miles from Sonora
  • 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

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#7

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 127.1 miles from Sonora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Shasta College

Redding, CA 209.9 miles from Sonora
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,269
Avg net price $2,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Sonora

Occupation Median Annual Wage (California, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $47,400
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $67,100
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $65,200
Childcare Workers $40,020
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,550
Social and Human Service Assistants $51,090
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $82,550
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $58,770

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.

Sonora at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 4,965 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,621 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Sonora-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Sonora. The closest is University of California-Davis in Davis, CA (83.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Santa Clara University (95.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in California are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($82,550), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($67,100), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($65,200). Wages for Sonora workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Oakdale instead of Sonora?

Oakdale, CA is 29.5 miles from Sonora 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 Sonora an affordable place to study child development?

Sonora’s median household income of $62,621 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sonora 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 Sonora

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

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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