Best Child Development Schools Near Marion, IA (2026)

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

Marion, Iowa is home to about 41,690 residents. Median household income is $87,105 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.2% 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 Marion

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Marion, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Marion 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 Marion. 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 105.9 miles from Marion
  • 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 Marion

Marion is part of the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area (BLS area code 16300). 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 $34,880 Cedar Rapids, IA $39,191
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $47,370 Cedar Rapids, IA $53,225
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,250 Cedar Rapids, IA $55,337
Childcare Workers $28,170 Cedar Rapids, IA $31,652
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $63,540 IA statewide $71,393
Social and Human Service Assistants $37,490 Cedar Rapids, IA $42,124
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $63,360 Cedar Rapids, IA $71,191
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $46,460 IA statewide $52,202

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.

Marion at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 41,690 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,105 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Marion-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Marion are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($63,540), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($63,360), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($49,250). 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 Cedar Rapids instead of Marion?

Cedar Rapids, IA is 7.2 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study child development?

Marion’s median household income of $87,105 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion 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 Marion

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

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)