Best Child Development Schools Near Moorhead, MN (2026)

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

Moorhead, Minnesota has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $11,110 to $23,716 per year for indexed programs. Moorhead has a population of about 44,706. Median household income is $69,371 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $75,880 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Moorhead

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

Central Lakes College-Brainerd

Brainerd, MN 125.3 miles from Moorhead
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,162
Avg net price $13,869/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,249
Out‑of‑state$6,249
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Granite Falls, MN 153.3 miles from Moorhead
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,285
Avg net price $11,191/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,491
Out‑of‑state$6,491
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 153.7 miles from Moorhead
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,813
Avg net price $13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN 202.0 miles from Moorhead
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,460
Avg net price $10,272/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,940
Out‑of‑state$5,940
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, MN 216.3 miles from Moorhead
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,207
Avg net price $12,972/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 217.6 miles from Moorhead
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 79%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,871
Avg net price $18,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN 219.3 miles from Moorhead
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,399
Avg net price $11,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 230.2 miles from Moorhead
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,922
Avg net price $19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Moorhead

Moorhead is part of the Fargo, ND-MN metro area (BLS area code 22020). 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 $41,170 Fargo, ND-MN $45,292
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $59,860 Fargo, ND-MN $65,853
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $59,860 Fargo, ND-MN $65,853
Childcare Workers $30,030 Fargo, ND-MN $33,036
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $75,880 MN statewide $83,476
Social and Human Service Assistants $46,960 Fargo, ND-MN $51,661
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $49,720 Fargo, ND-MN $54,697
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $50,700 Fargo, ND-MN $55,776

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.

Moorhead at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,706 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $69,371 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Moorhead-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Moorhead, MN?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs near Moorhead. The closest is North Dakota State University-Main Campus in Fargo, ND (3.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sisseton Wahpeton College (91.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Moorhead are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($75,880), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($59,860), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($59,860). 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 Fargo instead of Moorhead?

Fargo, ND is 3.9 miles from Moorhead 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 Moorhead an affordable place to study child development?

Moorhead’s median household income of $69,371 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Moorhead 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 Moorhead

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

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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