Best Child Development Schools Near Palm Bay, FL (2026)

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

Palm Bay, Florida is home to about 125,273 residents. Median household income is $67,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $58,240 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Palm Bay

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

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL 134.0 miles from Palm Bay
  • 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

#2

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 277.1 miles from Palm Bay
  • 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

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

Child Development Wages Near Palm Bay

Palm Bay is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area (BLS area code 37340). 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 $35,920 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $35,920
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $57,500 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $57,500
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,240 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $50,240
Childcare Workers $33,460 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $33,460
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $58,240 FL statewide $58,240
Social and Human Service Assistants $41,650 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $41,650
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $52,160 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $52,160
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $49,910 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL $49,910

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 Bay at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 125,273 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,521 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.0 (at U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Bay-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Palm Bay?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Palm Bay are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($58,240), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($57,500), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($52,160). 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 West Melbourne instead of Palm Bay?

West Melbourne, FL is 5.8 miles from Palm Bay 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 Bay an affordable place to study child development?

Palm Bay’s median household income of $67,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay

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

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 Florida (2026)