Elk River, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $5,940 to $37,239 per year for indexed programs. Elk River has a population of about 26,367. Median household income is $99,457 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $80,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Child Development Schools to Elk River
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Elk River, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Elk River 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Elk River.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,460
Avg net price
$10,272/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,940
Out‑of‑state$5,940
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,813
Avg net price
$13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 123
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
79%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,871
Avg net price
$18,462/yr
TuitionIn‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Key stats
- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 65
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,399
Avg net price
$11,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$50,207
Avg net price
$12,972/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,162
Avg net price
$13,869/yr
TuitionIn‑state$6,249
Out‑of‑state$6,249
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,922
Avg net price
$19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 142
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,285
Avg net price
$11,191/yr
TuitionIn‑state$6,491
Out‑of‑state$6,491
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota child development page.
Child Development Wages Near Elk River
Elk River is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education |
$43,960 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$41,947 |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare |
$64,800 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$61,832 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers |
$70,530 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$67,300 |
| Childcare Workers |
$36,310 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$34,647 |
| Special Education Teachers, Preschool |
$80,700 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$77,004 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants |
$49,750 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$47,471 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education |
$80,780 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$77,080 |
| Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other |
$56,780 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$54,179 |
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.
Elk River at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
26,367 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$99,457 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
30.8% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
104.8 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Elk River-Area Cities With Child Development Programs
- Ramsey, MN – 7.5 mi away (26,206 pop)
- Monticello, MN – 11.5 mi away (26,875 pop)
- Andover, MN – 12.8 mi away (32,461 pop)
- Champlin, MN – 14.1 mi away (24,231 pop)
- Maple Grove, MN – 16.2 mi away (69,576 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited child development schools are near Elk River, MN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Elk River. The closest is Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, MN (18.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Normandale Community College (36.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying child development roles near Elk River?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Elk River are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($80,780), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($80,700), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($70,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Ramsey instead of Elk River?
Ramsey, MN is 7.5 miles from Elk River 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 Elk River an affordable place to study child development?
Elk River’s median household income of $99,457 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elk River while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Elk River
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Elk River:
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- Film programs in Elk River, MN
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- Industrial Design programs in Elk River, MN
- Game Design programs in Elk River, MN
- Instructional Design programs in Elk River, MN
- Higher Education Administration programs in Elk River, MN
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- Art History programs in Elk River, MN
- Creative Writing programs in Elk River, MN
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- Nutrition programs in Elk River, MN
- Theology programs in Elk River, MN
- Library Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Applied Behavior Analysis programs in Elk River, MN
- Medical Billing and Coding programs in Elk River, MN
- Medical Assistant programs in Elk River, MN
- Pharmacy Technician programs in Elk River, MN
- Health Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Occupational Safety and Health programs in Elk River, MN
- Entrepreneurship programs in Elk River, MN
- Interior Design programs in Elk River, MN
- Photography programs in Elk River, MN
- Sustainability Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Elk River, MN
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Elk River, MN
- Journalism programs in Elk River, MN
- Public Relations programs in Elk River, MN
- Communication Disorders programs in Elk River, MN
- Speech Pathology programs in Elk River, MN
- Technical Communication programs in Elk River, MN
- Professional Writing programs in Elk River, MN
- Strategic Communications programs in Elk River, MN
- Business Development programs in Elk River, MN
- Construction Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Economics programs in Elk River, MN
- Financial Technology programs in Elk River, MN
- Forensic Accounting programs in Elk River, MN
- Health Information Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Hospitality Management programs in Elk River, MN
- International Business programs in Elk River, MN
- Organizational Leadership programs in Elk River, MN
- Management Information Systems programs in Elk River, MN
- Nonprofit Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Operations Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Public Administration programs in Elk River, MN
- Real Estate programs in Elk River, MN
- Recreation Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Retail Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Risk Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Statistics programs in Elk River, MN
- Taxation programs in Elk River, MN
- Corrections programs in Elk River, MN
- Crime Analysis programs in Elk River, MN
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Elk River, MN
- Criminology programs in Elk River, MN
- Cybercrime programs in Elk River, MN
- Emergency Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Fire Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Forensic Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Legal Services programs in Elk River, MN
- Legal Studies programs in Elk River, MN
- Paralegal programs in Elk River, MN
- Security Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Cloud Computing programs in Elk River, MN
- Computer Engineering programs in Elk River, MN
- Innovation programs in Elk River, MN
- Mobile App Development programs in Elk River, MN
- Software Development programs in Elk River, MN
- User Experience programs in Elk River, MN
- Web Development programs in Elk River, MN
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Elk River, MN
- Machine Learning programs in Elk River, MN
- Supply Chain Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Data Analytics programs in Elk River, MN
- Public Health programs in Elk River, MN
- Human Resources programs in Elk River, MN
- Project Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Special Education programs in Elk River, MN
- Homeland Security programs in Elk River, MN
- Marketing programs in Elk River, MN
- Finance programs in Elk River, MN
- Kinesiology programs in Elk River, MN
- Sports Management programs in Elk River, MN
- Early Childhood Education programs in Elk River, MN
- Elementary Education programs in Elk River, MN
- Biology programs in Elk River, MN
- Communications programs in Elk River, MN
- Graphic Design programs in Elk River, MN
- Human Services programs in Elk River, MN
- MBA programs in Elk River, MN
- Criminal Justice programs in Elk River, MN
- Nursing programs in Elk River, MN
- Business Administration programs in Elk River, MN
- Computer Science programs in Elk River, MN
- Psychology programs in Elk River, MN
- Education programs in Elk River, MN
- Engineering programs in Elk River, MN
- Technology programs in Elk River, MN
- Liberal Arts programs in Elk River, MN
- Healthcare programs in Elk River, MN
- Cybersecurity programs in Elk River, MN
- Accounting programs in Elk River, MN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Elk River, MN
- Social Work programs in Elk River, MN
- Counseling programs in Elk River, MN
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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