Best Child Development Schools Near Des Moines, IA (2026)

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

Des Moines, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering child development programs. Des Moines has a population of about 212,464. Median household income is $63,966 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $63,540 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Des Moines

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

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 31.4 miles from Des Moines
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 169

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Des Moines

Des Moines is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $33,850 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $36,914
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $49,210 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $53,664
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $56,280 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $61,374
Childcare Workers $29,760 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $32,454
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $63,540 IA statewide $69,291
Social and Human Service Assistants $45,760 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $49,902
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $59,370 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $64,744
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $48,310 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $52,683

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.

Des Moines at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 212,464 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,966 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Des Moines-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Des Moines, IA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering child development programs near Des Moines. The closest is Iowa State University in Ames, IA (31.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa State University (31.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Des Moines are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($63,540), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($59,370), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($56,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West Des Moines instead of Des Moines?

West Des Moines, IA is 8.9 miles from Des Moines 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 Des Moines an affordable place to study child development?

Des Moines’s median household income of $63,966 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Moines while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Des Moines

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

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 Iowa: Online Programs (2026)