Best Child Development Schools Near Omaha, NE (2026)

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

Omaha, Nebraska has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs. Omaha has a population of about 488,197. Median household income is $72,708 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Omaha, NE-IA metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $62,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Omaha

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

Southeast Community College Area

Lincoln, NE 42.4 miles from Omaha
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,405
Avg net price $9,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 46.0 miles from Omaha
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,887
Avg net price $17,747/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Omaha

Omaha is part of the Omaha, NE-IA metro area (BLS area code 36540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Nebraska statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $44,440 Omaha, NE-IA $48,357
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $48,540 Omaha, NE-IA $52,818
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,490 Omaha, NE-IA $53,852
Childcare Workers $31,330 Omaha, NE-IA $34,091
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $62,760 Omaha, NE-IA $68,292
Social and Human Service Assistants $40,510 Omaha, NE-IA $44,081
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $61,870 Omaha, NE-IA $67,323
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $47,960 Omaha, NE-IA $52,187

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.

Omaha at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 488,197 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $72,708 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 40.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Omaha-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Omaha, NE?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering child development programs near Omaha. The closest is Southeast Community College Area in Lincoln, NE (42.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Nebraska-Lincoln (46.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Omaha are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($62,760), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($61,870), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($49,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Nebraska statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bellevue instead of Omaha?

Bellevue, NE is 9.5 miles from Omaha 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 Omaha an affordable place to study child development?

Omaha’s median household income of $72,708 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Omaha while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nebraska 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 Omaha

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

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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