Best Child Development Schools Near Fernandina Beach, FL

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

Fernandina Beach, Florida is home to about 13,239 residents. Median household income is $92,535 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jacksonville, FL metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $76,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Fernandina Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Fernandina Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fernandina Beach 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 Fernandina Beach. 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

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 169.9 miles from Fernandina Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,675
Avg net price $11,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 148

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL 324.5 miles from Fernandina Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,209
Avg net price $30,371/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 131

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Fernandina Beach

Fernandina Beach is part of the Jacksonville, FL metro area (BLS area code 27260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $36,330 Jacksonville, FL $36,513
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $58,370 Jacksonville, FL $58,663
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $55,630 Jacksonville, FL $55,910
Childcare Workers $35,210 Jacksonville, FL $35,387
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $58,240 FL statewide $58,533
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,420 Jacksonville, FL $44,643
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $76,440 Jacksonville, FL $76,824
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $44,450 Jacksonville, FL $44,673

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.

Fernandina Beach at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 13,239 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $92,535 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 51.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 99.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fernandina Beach-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Fernandina Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Fernandina Beach are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($76,440), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($58,370), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($58,240). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Saint Marys instead of Fernandina Beach?

Saint Marys, GA is 9.9 miles from Fernandina Beach 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 Fernandina Beach an affordable place to study child development?

Fernandina Beach’s median household income of $92,535 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fernandina Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Fernandina Beach

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

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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