Best Child Development Schools Near Parma, OH (2026)

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

Parma, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $13,135 to $49,276 per year for indexed programs. Parma has a population of about 80,131. Median household income is $67,425 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $82,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Parma

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

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 24.1 miles from Parma
  • 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

#2

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 25.9 miles from Parma
  • 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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#3

University of Mount Union

Alliance, OH 46.1 miles from Parma
  • 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

#4

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Steubenville, OH 90.5 miles from Parma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,030
Avg net price $23,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Ohio University-Eastern Campus

Saint Clairsville, OH 98.8 miles from Parma
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,581
Avg net price $3,925/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 99.1 miles from Parma
  • 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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#7

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 116.8 miles from Parma
  • 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

#8

Ohio University-Main Campus

Athens, OH 143.5 miles from Parma
  • 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

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

Child Development Wages Near Parma

Parma is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $35,520 Cleveland, OH $37,827
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $48,550 Cleveland, OH $51,704
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $57,860 Cleveland, OH $61,619
Childcare Workers $30,460 Cleveland, OH $32,439
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $58,900 Cleveland, OH $62,726
Social and Human Service Assistants $39,780 Cleveland, OH $42,364
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $82,080 Cleveland, OH $87,412
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $45,780 Cleveland, OH $48,754

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.

Parma at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 80,131 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,425 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Parma-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Parma. The closest is University of Akron Main Campus in Akron, OH (24.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Westminster College (74.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Parma are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($82,080), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($58,900), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($57,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Parma Heights instead of Parma?

Parma Heights, OH is 1.8 miles from Parma 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 Parma an affordable place to study child development?

Parma’s median household income of $67,425 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Parma 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 Parma

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

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)