Best Child Development Schools Near Waterloo, IA (2026)

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

Waterloo, Iowa has 1 accredited school offering child development programs. Waterloo has a population of about 66,947. Median household income is $56,344 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% 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 Waterloo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Waterloo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waterloo 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 Waterloo. 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 73.7 miles from Waterloo
  • 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 Waterloo

Waterloo is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area (BLS area code 47940). 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 $30,420 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $34,925
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $45,900 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $52,698
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $56,530 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $64,902
Childcare Workers $27,580 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $31,665
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $63,540 IA statewide $72,951
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,250 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $50,804
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $60,530 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA $69,495
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $46,460 IA statewide $53,341

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.

Waterloo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 66,947 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,344 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waterloo-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Waterloo, IA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering child development programs near Waterloo. The closest is Iowa State University in Ames, IA (73.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Iowa State University (73.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Waterloo are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($63,540), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($60,530), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($56,530). 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 Falls instead of Waterloo?

Cedar Falls, IA is 5.5 miles from Waterloo 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 Waterloo an affordable place to study child development?

Waterloo’s median household income of $56,344 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waterloo 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 Waterloo

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

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)