Best Child Development Schools Near Dalton, GA (2026)

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

Dalton, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $4,762 to $17,756 per year for indexed programs. Dalton has a population of about 34,402. Median household income is $61,236 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Georgia, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $72,310 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Dalton

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

Athens, GA 107.0 miles from Dalton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,726
Avg net price $13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 241

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Point University

West Point, GA 131.1 miles from Dalton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,740
Avg net price $25,335/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA 244.6 miles from Dalton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,236
Avg net price $15,267/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 99

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Dalton

Dalton is part of the Dalton, GA metro area (BLS area code 19140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $46,090 Dalton, GA $51,325
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $60,300 GA statewide $67,149
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,760 Dalton, GA $56,526
Childcare Workers $22,260 Dalton, GA $24,788
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $72,310 GA statewide $80,523
Social and Human Service Assistants $36,190 Dalton, GA $40,301
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $62,100 Dalton, GA $69,154
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $45,220 GA statewide $50,356

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.

Dalton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 34,402 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,236 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.9% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Dalton-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Dalton, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Dalton. The closest is Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga, TN (27.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Motlow State Community College (85.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Dalton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Dalton are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($72,310), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($62,100), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($60,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Calhoun instead of Dalton?

Calhoun, GA is 19.2 miles from Dalton 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 Dalton an affordable place to study child development?

Dalton’s median household income of $61,236 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dalton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 Dalton

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

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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