Best Child Development Schools Near Poughkeepsie, NY (2026)

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

Poughkeepsie, New York has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs. Poughkeepsie has a population of about 31,778. Median household income is $60,050 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $89,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Poughkeepsie

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

Sarah Lawrence College

Bronxville, NY 52.6 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,603
Avg net price $41,437/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY 66.4 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,763
Avg net price $4,195/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

St. Joseph's University-New York

Brooklyn, NY 69.4 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,905
Avg net price $19,035/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY 79.3 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
69.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,386
Avg net price $19,158/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,831
Out‑of‑state$19,781
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY 95.8 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,080
Avg net price $11,676/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 108.7 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,596
Avg net price $21,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,567
Out‑of‑state$30,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 141.3 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,043
Avg net price $28,690/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 146.1 miles from Poughkeepsie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,164
Avg net price $38,793/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 186

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie is part of the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metro area (BLS area code 28880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $43,030 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $39,333
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $72,910 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $66,645
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $77,260 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $70,622
Childcare Workers $36,230 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $33,117
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $60,660 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $55,448
Social and Human Service Assistants $47,760 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $43,656
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $89,330 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $81,654
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $70,310 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY $64,269

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.

Poughkeepsie at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,778 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,050 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Poughkeepsie-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Poughkeepsie, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Poughkeepsie. The closest is Post University in Waterbury, CT (44.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Saint Joseph (61.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Poughkeepsie are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($89,330), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($77,260), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($72,910). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Newburgh instead of Poughkeepsie?

Newburgh, NY is 14.2 miles from Poughkeepsie 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 Poughkeepsie an affordable place to study child development?

Poughkeepsie’s median household income of $60,050 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Poughkeepsie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Poughkeepsie

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

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 New York (2026)