Best Child Development Schools Near Rocky Mount, NC (2026)

Rocky Mount, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $2,756 to $11,230 per year for indexed programs. Rocky Mount has a population of about 54,175. Median household income is $52,927 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Carolina, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $60,180 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Child Development Schools to Rocky Mount

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

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

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#1

Wilson Community College

Wilson, NC 17.2 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 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

#2

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 34.9 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 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

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#3

Wayne Community College

Goldsboro, NC 39.8 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 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

#4

Martin Community College

Williamston, NC 40.7 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $26,016
Avg net price $2,676/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Johnston Community College

Smithfield, NC 43.7 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 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

#6

Vance-Granville Community College

Henderson, NC 45.4 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,304
Avg net price $3,286/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Raleigh, NC 50.3 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
84.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,758
Avg net price $17,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 152

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 50.9 miles from Rocky Mount
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege 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 Rocky Mount

Rocky Mount is part of the Rocky Mount, NC metro area (BLS area code 40580). 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 $30,280 Rocky Mount, NC $34,409
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $57,200 NC statewide $65,000
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,940 Rocky Mount, NC $56,750
Childcare Workers $28,130 Rocky Mount, NC $31,966
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $60,180 NC statewide $68,386
Social and Human Service Assistants $39,100 Rocky Mount, NC $44,432
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $53,180 NC statewide $60,432
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $50,430 Rocky Mount, NC $57,307

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.


Rocky Mount at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 54,175 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,927 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rocky Mount-Area Cities With Child Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Rocky Mount, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Rocky Mount. The closest is Wilson Community College in Wilson, NC (17.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnston Community College (43.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Rocky Mount?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Rocky Mount are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($60,180), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($57,200), 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 Wilson instead of Rocky Mount?

Wilson, NC is 17.7 miles from Rocky Mount 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 Rocky Mount an affordable place to study child development?

Rocky Mount’s median household income of $52,927 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rocky Mount 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 Rocky Mount

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

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.