Best Child Development Schools Near Jacksonville, NC (2026)

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

Jacksonville, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $2,578 to $14,929 per year for indexed programs. Jacksonville has a population of about 73,507. Median household income is $54,069 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jacksonville, NC metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Child, Family, and School Social Workers at a median $66,520 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Jacksonville

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

Craven Community College

New Bern, NC 31.0 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,231
Avg net price $3,289/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lenoir Community College

Kinston, NC 36.1 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,866
Avg net price $4,127/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,578
Out‑of‑state$8,722
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

James Sprunt Community College

Kenansville, NC 36.2 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,307
Avg net price $1,863/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,592
Out‑of‑state$8,736
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC 55.8 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,148
Avg net price $2,245/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 60.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,146
Avg net price $15,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Brunswick Community College

Bolivia, NC 67.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,668
Avg net price $9,009/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Wilson Community College

Wilson, NC 74.5 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,973
Avg net price $3,064/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC 75.0 miles from Jacksonville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,310
Avg net price $1,776/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,756
Out‑of‑state$8,900
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Jacksonville

Jacksonville is part of the Jacksonville, NC metro area (BLS area code 27340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $31,320 Jacksonville, NC $34,007
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $46,410 Jacksonville, NC $50,391
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $66,520 Jacksonville, NC $72,226
Childcare Workers $29,310 Jacksonville, NC $31,824
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $60,180 NC statewide $65,342
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,850 Jacksonville, NC $48,697
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $53,180 NC statewide $57,742
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $52,730 Jacksonville, NC $57,253

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.

Jacksonville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 73,507 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $54,069 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Jacksonville-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Jacksonville, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Jacksonville. The closest is Craven Community College in New Bern, NC (31.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is East Carolina University (60.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Jacksonville are: Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($66,520), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($60,180), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($53,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Havelock instead of Jacksonville?

Havelock, NC is 30.7 miles from Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville an affordable place to study child development?

Jacksonville’s median household income of $54,069 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jacksonville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Jacksonville

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

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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