Best Child Development Schools Near Worcester, MA (2026)

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

Worcester, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $68,102 to $86,285 per year for indexed programs. Worcester has a population of about 205,501. Median household income is $67,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $89,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Worcester

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Worcester, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Worcester 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 Worcester. 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 24.0 miles from Worcester
  • 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

Lesley University

Cambridge, MA 36.1 miles from Worcester
  • 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

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#3

Boston University

Boston, MA 36.2 miles from Worcester
  • 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

#4

Tufts University

Medford, MA 36.5 miles from Worcester
  • 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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#5

Massasoit Community College

Brockton, MA 44.0 miles from Worcester
  • 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

#6

Merrimack College

North Andover, MA 44.4 miles from Worcester
  • 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

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

Child Development Wages Near Worcester

Worcester is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). 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 $44,460 Worcester, MA $43,376
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $70,560 Worcester, MA $68,839
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $70,900 Worcester, MA $69,171
Childcare Workers $39,300 Worcester, MA $38,341
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $84,040 Worcester, MA $81,990
Social and Human Service Assistants $46,030 Worcester, MA $44,907
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $89,770 Worcester, MA $87,580
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $55,000 Worcester, MA $53,659

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.

Worcester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 205,501 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 34.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.5 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Worcester-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Worcester. The closest is Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, MA (24.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rivier University (37.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Worcester are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($89,770), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($84,040), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($70,900). 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 Marlborough instead of Worcester?

Marlborough, MA is 14.4 miles from Worcester 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 Worcester an affordable place to study child development?

Worcester’s median household income of $67,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Worcester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Worcester

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

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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