Best Child Development Schools Near Olathe, KS (2026)

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

Olathe, Kansas has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $10,050 to $22,947 per year for indexed programs. Olathe has a population of about 143,720. Median household income is $112,232 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $119,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Olathe

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

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 96.9 miles from Olathe
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Olathe

Olathe is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $37,400 Kansas City, MO-KS $40,432
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $58,340 Kansas City, MO-KS $63,070
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,880 Kansas City, MO-KS $53,924
Childcare Workers $31,770 Kansas City, MO-KS $34,346
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $119,560 Kansas City, MO-KS $129,254
Social and Human Service Assistants $45,860 Kansas City, MO-KS $49,578
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $60,410 Kansas City, MO-KS $65,308
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $50,240 Kansas City, MO-KS $54,314

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.

Olathe at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 143,720 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $112,232 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Olathe-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Olathe, KS?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs near Olathe. The closest is University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO (58.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kansas State University (96.9 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Olathe are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($119,560), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($60,410), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($58,340). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lenexa instead of Olathe?

Lenexa, KS is 5.4 miles from Olathe 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 Olathe an affordable place to study child development?

Olathe’s median household income of $112,232 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olathe while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Olathe

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

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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