Best Child Development Schools Near Kalamazoo, MI (2026)

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

Kalamazoo, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $31,361 to $51,652 per year for indexed programs. Kalamazoo has a population of about 73,132. Median household income is $48,965 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.1% 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 Kalamazoo

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

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 1.4 miles from Kalamazoo
  • 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

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

Child Development Wages Near Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). 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 $36,380 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $38,376
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $49,680 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $52,405
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $48,040 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $50,675
Childcare Workers $30,420 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $32,089
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $75,860 MI statewide $80,021
Social and Human Service Assistants $38,580 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $40,696
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $65,200 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $68,776
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $52,570 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $55,454

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.

Kalamazoo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 73,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,965 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kalamazoo-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Kalamazoo. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Indiana Institute of Technology (86.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Kalamazoo are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($75,860), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($65,200), Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other ($52,570). 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 Portage instead of Kalamazoo?

Portage, MI is 5.2 miles from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo an affordable place to study child development?

Kalamazoo’s median household income of $48,965 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo

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

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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