Best Child Development Schools Near Marion, OH (2026)

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

Marion, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $13,135 to $26,284 per year for indexed programs. Marion has a population of about 35,771. Median household income is $45,829 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 10.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Ohio, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $72,570 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Marion

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

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 41.5 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 60.4 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $24,022/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 139

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Edison State Community College

Piqua, OH 64.7 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,360
Avg net price $7,142/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Antioch University

Yellow Springs, OH 68.5 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,541
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 90.7 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 159

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 100.6 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 102.9 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $21,637/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 217

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Mount Union

Alliance, OH 107.5 miles from Marion
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,217
Avg net price $23,280/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,600
Out‑of‑state$36,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Marion

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Ohio, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $35,180
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $49,580
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $51,520
Childcare Workers $29,680
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $60,700
Social and Human Service Assistants $38,390
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $72,570
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $45,980

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.

Marion at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,771 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $45,829 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 10.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Marion-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Marion, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Marion. The closest is Ohio State University-Main Campus in Columbus, OH (41.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Akron Main Campus (90.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles in Ohio?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in Ohio are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($72,570), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($60,700), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($51,520). Wages for Marion workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Delaware instead of Marion?

Delaware, OH is 21.3 miles from Marion 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 Marion an affordable place to study child development?

Marion’s median household income of $45,829 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Marion while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Marion

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

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 Ohio: Online Programs (2026)