Best Child Development Schools Near Amherst, MA (2026)

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

Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In Massachusetts, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $99,070 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Amherst

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

Mount Wachusett Community College

Gardner, MA 31.0 miles from Amherst
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,118
Avg net price $7,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tufts University

Medford, MA 70.9 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 70.9 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,173
Avg net price $31,152/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Boston University

Boston, MA 71.4 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 228

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 73.5 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,584
Avg net price $37,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 86

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Massasoit Community College

Brockton, MA 80.2 miles from Amherst
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,111
Avg net price $8,460/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Amherst

Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $45,430 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $45,339
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $63,850 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $63,723
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $56,660 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $56,547
Childcare Workers $40,560 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $40,479
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $99,070 MA statewide $98,872
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,900 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $44,810
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $76,740 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $76,587
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $48,670 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $48,573

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.

Amherst at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Amherst-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Amherst, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Amherst. The closest is Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA (31.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rivier University (59.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Amherst are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($99,070), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($76,740), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($63,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?

Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.

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 Amherst

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

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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