Best Child Development Schools Near Jackson, MI (2026)

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

Jackson, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $13,000 to $51,853 per year for indexed programs. Jackson has a population of about 31,206. Median household income is $42,848 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Michigan, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $75,860 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Jackson

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

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 34.0 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 230

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Concordia University Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI 36.9 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 69%
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,075
Avg net price $32,811/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,410
Out‑of‑state$35,410
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Schoolcraft Community College District

Livonia, MI 51.2 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,722
Avg net price $2,260/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Madonna University

Livonia, MI 52.0 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,058
Avg net price $17,755/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Baker College

Owosso, MI 52.6 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,833
Avg net price $13,157/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,000
Out‑of‑state$13,000
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 61.9 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Aquinas College

Grand Rapids, MI 79.6 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
46.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,584
Avg net price $16,626/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,218
Out‑of‑state$40,218
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, MI 95.0 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 90%
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,874
Avg net price $17,597/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,760
Out‑of‑state$14,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 183

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Jackson

Jackson is part of the Jackson, MI metro area (BLS area code 27100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $38,570 Jackson, MI $42,015
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $56,870 MI statewide $61,950
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $70,350 Jackson, MI $76,634
Childcare Workers $30,860 Jackson, MI $33,617
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $75,860 MI statewide $82,636
Social and Human Service Assistants $36,650 Jackson, MI $39,924
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $63,300 MI statewide $68,954
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $49,480 Jackson, MI $53,900

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.

Jackson at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,206 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $42,848 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Jackson-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Jackson, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Jackson. The closest is Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI (34.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Baker College (52.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Jackson are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($75,860), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($70,350), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($63,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Adrian instead of Jackson?

Adrian, MI is 30.0 miles from Jackson 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 Jackson an affordable place to study child development?

Jackson’s median household income of $42,848 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jackson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Jackson

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

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 Michigan (2026)