Best Child Development Schools Near Meadville, PA (2026)

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

Meadville, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $14,024 to $49,276 per year for indexed programs. Meadville has a population of about 12,723. Median household income is $46,012 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $83,510 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Meadville

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

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

Sort:
#1

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Erie, PA 33.7 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
43.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $24,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango

Sharon, PA 34.1 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
38.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $18,095/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,024
Out‑of‑state$23,560
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Westminster College

New Wilmington, PA 37.7 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,861
Avg net price $19,859/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois

DuBois, PA 80.8 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
45.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $17,428/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,408
Out‑of‑state$24,134
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus

Indiana, PA 87.8 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,019
Avg net price $16,804/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona

Altoona, PA 118.4 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
36.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 17%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $22,213/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly

Lemont Furnace, PA 120.3 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
45.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $14,596/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,408
Out‑of‑state$24,134
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA 132.5 miles from Meadville
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
62.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $32,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 214

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Child Development Wages Near Meadville

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Pennsylvania, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $36,050
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $56,380
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,820
Childcare Workers $30,140
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $83,510
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,050
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $64,430
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $54,770

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.

Meadville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 12,723 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $46,012 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 24.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Meadville-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Meadville, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Meadville. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College in Erie, PA (33.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Mount Union (71.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in Pennsylvania are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($83,510), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($64,430), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($56,380). Wages for Meadville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Erie instead of Meadville?

Erie, PA is 32.6 miles from Meadville 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 Meadville an affordable place to study child development?

Meadville’s median household income of $46,012 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Meadville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Meadville

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

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 Pennsylvania (2026)