Best Child Development Schools Near Northfield, MN (2026)

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

Northfield, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $5,940 to $37,239 per year for indexed programs. Northfield has a population of about 20,678. Median household income is $92,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.5% 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 Northfield

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

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, MN 27.1 miles from Northfield
  • 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

#2

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 34.2 miles from Northfield
  • 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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#3

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN 34.3 miles from Northfield
  • 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

#4

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN 45.7 miles from Northfield
  • 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

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 46.2 miles from Northfield
  • 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

#6

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN 78.3 miles from Northfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,170
Avg net price $11,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 89.8 miles from Northfield
  • 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

#8

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Granite Falls, MN 120.1 miles from Northfield
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota child development page.

Child Development Wages Near Northfield

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Minnesota, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $43,430
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $62,020
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $67,450
Childcare Workers $35,520
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $75,880
Social and Human Service Assistants $49,940
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $75,500
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $54,050

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.

Northfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 20,678 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $92,000 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 51.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Northfield-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Northfield. The closest is Normandale Community College in Bloomington, MN (27.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Minnesota State University-Mankato (46.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles in Minnesota?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in Minnesota are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($75,880), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($75,500), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($67,450). Wages for Northfield workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Faribault instead of Northfield?

Faribault, MN is 12.1 miles from Northfield 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 Northfield an affordable place to study child development?

Northfield’s median household income of $92,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northfield 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 Northfield

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

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 Minnesota (2026)