Best Child Development Schools Near Normal, IL (2026)

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

Normal, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $16,144 to $34,309 per year for indexed programs. Normal has a population of about 52,908. Median household income is $66,350 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bloomington, IL metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $65,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Normal

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

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 0.9 miles from Normal
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Normal

Normal is part of the Bloomington, IL metro area (BLS area code 14010). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $37,720 Bloomington, IL $40,342
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $48,860 Bloomington, IL $52,257
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $58,440 Bloomington, IL $62,503
Childcare Workers $33,140 Bloomington, IL $35,444
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $62,580 IL statewide $66,930
Social and Human Service Assistants $41,560 Bloomington, IL $44,449
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $65,180 Bloomington, IL $69,711
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $40,900 IL statewide $43,743

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.

Normal at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,908 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,350 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 52.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Normal-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Normal, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Normal. The closest is Illinois State University in Normal, IL (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northern Illinois University (98.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Normal are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($65,180), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($62,580), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($58,440). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bloomington instead of Normal?

Bloomington, IL is 3.3 miles from Normal 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 Normal an affordable place to study child development?

Normal’s median household income of $66,350 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Normal while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Normal

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

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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