Best Child Development Schools Near Winter Haven, FL (2026)

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

Winter Haven, Florida is home to about 52,846 residents. Median household income is $59,604 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.2% 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 Winter Haven

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Winter Haven, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven. 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 160.5 miles from Winter Haven
  • 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 229.4 miles from Winter Haven
  • 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 Winter Haven

Winter Haven is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area (BLS area code 29460). 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 $34,780 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $35,819
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $56,920 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $58,620
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $53,800 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $55,407
Childcare Workers $30,770 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $31,689
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $58,240 FL statewide $59,979
Social and Human Service Assistants $41,290 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $42,523
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $49,960 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $51,452
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $48,490 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $49,938

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.

Winter Haven at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,846 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,604 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Winter Haven-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Winter Haven?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Winter Haven are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($58,240), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($56,920), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($53,800). 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 Haines City instead of Winter Haven?

Haines City, FL is 8.5 miles from Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven an affordable place to study child development?

Winter Haven’s median household income of $59,604 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven

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

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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