Best Child Development Schools Near Jackson, MS (2026)

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

Jackson, Mississippi has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs. Jackson has a population of about 149,827. Median household income is $43,238 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jackson, MS metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $50,640 annually (BLS OEWS, 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

Tougaloo College

Tougaloo, MS 6.7 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,724
Avg net price $17,043/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Alcorn State University

Alcorn State, MS 62.3 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,421
Avg net price $13,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS 114.0 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,513
Avg net price $17,595/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Mississippi University for Women

Columbus, MS 132.1 miles from Jackson
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,128
Avg net price $12,411/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Jackson

Jackson is part of the Jackson, MS metro area (BLS area code 27140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Mississippi statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $29,000 Jackson, MS $32,584
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $46,690 Jackson, MS $52,461
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $46,610 Jackson, MS $52,371
Childcare Workers $21,770 Jackson, MS $24,461
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $50,640 Jackson, MS $56,899
Social and Human Service Assistants $31,270 Jackson, MS $35,135
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $49,680 Jackson, MS $55,820
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $46,840 Jackson, MS $52,629

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 149,827 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,238 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 89.0 (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, MS?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs near Jackson. The closest is Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, MS (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alcorn State University (62.3 miles). 2 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 ($50,640), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($49,680), Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other ($46,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Mississippi statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pearl instead of Jackson?

Pearl, MS is 7.7 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 $43,238 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jackson while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi 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.

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