Best Child Development Schools Near Saint Joseph, MO (2026)

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

Saint Joseph, Missouri has 1 accredited school offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $10,050 to $22,947 per year for indexed programs. Saint Joseph has a population of about 71,542. Median household income is $55,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $62,250 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Saint Joseph

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Saint Joseph, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 90.2 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Columbia College

Columbia, MO 144.3 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,378
Avg net price $22,715/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,826
Out‑of‑state$25,826
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO 144.5 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,403
Avg net price $20,268/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 156

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Stephens College

Columbia, MO 144.8 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,071
Avg net price $23,459/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 195.5 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, MO 243.5 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,105
Avg net price $22,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Saint Louis Community College

Bridgeton, MO 244.8 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,325
Avg net price $8,440/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri State University-West Plains

West Plains, MO 264.0 miles from Saint Joseph
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,922
Avg net price $9,750/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Child Development Wages Near Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is part of the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 41140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $35,150 St. Joseph, MO-KS $40,683
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $47,940 MO statewide $55,486
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,060 St. Joseph, MO-KS $56,782
Childcare Workers $29,130 St. Joseph, MO-KS $33,715
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $62,250 MO statewide $72,049
Social and Human Service Assistants $40,150 St. Joseph, MO-KS $46,470
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $56,590 MO statewide $65,498
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $50,180 MO statewide $58,079

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.

Saint Joseph at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 71,542 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 86.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Joseph-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Saint Joseph, MO?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering child development programs near Saint Joseph. The closest is University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO (90.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Central Missouri (90.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Saint Joseph?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Saint Joseph are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($62,250), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($56,590), Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other ($50,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Leavenworth instead of Saint Joseph?

Leavenworth, KS is 30.7 miles from Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph an affordable place to study child development?

Saint Joseph’s median household income of $55,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Joseph while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Saint Joseph

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

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 Missouri (2026)