Best Child Development Schools Near Utica, NY (2026)

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

Utica, New York has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $6,264 to $28,821 per year for indexed programs. Utica has a population of about 64,440. Median household income is $51,513 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning child development-related role is Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare at a median $96,810 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Utica

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

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY 44.1 miles from Utica
  • 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

#2

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY 46.0 miles from Utica
  • 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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#3

State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY 70.6 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,566
Avg net price $16,236/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY 72.9 miles from Utica
  • 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

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#5

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 77.9 miles from Utica
  • 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

#6

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 79.2 miles from Utica
  • 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

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 121.3 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,042
Avg net price $29,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY 140.9 miles from Utica
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,403
Avg net price $17,156/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

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 Utica

Utica is part of the Utica-Rome, NY metro area (BLS area code 46540). 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 $39,950 Utica-Rome, NY $43,096
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $96,810 NY statewide $104,434
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $59,090 Utica-Rome, NY $63,743
Childcare Workers $35,190 Utica-Rome, NY $37,961
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $68,180 NY statewide $73,549
Social and Human Service Assistants $42,780 Utica-Rome, NY $46,149
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $76,790 Utica-Rome, NY $82,837
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $62,880 Utica-Rome, NY $67,832

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.

Utica at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 64,440 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,513 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Utica-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Utica. The closest is SUNY Oneonta in Oneonta, NY (44.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Jefferson Community College (71.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Utica are: Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($96,810), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($76,790), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($68,180). 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 Ilion instead of Utica?

Ilion, NY is 11.1 miles from Utica 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 Utica an affordable place to study child development?

Utica’s median household income of $51,513 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Utica 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 Utica

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

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)