Best Child Development Schools Near Beaufort, SC (2026)

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

Beaufort, South Carolina has 4 accredited schools offering child development programs. Beaufort has a population of about 13,660. Median household income is $59,454 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $64,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Beaufort

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

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 50.5 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC 52.3 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,898
Avg net price $21,666/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Voorhees University

Denmark, SC 64.1 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,339
Avg net price $13,335/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 109.6 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
16.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,902
Avg net price $18,250/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 111.9 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 181.0 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Converse University

Spartanburg, SC 186.6 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,867
Avg net price $23,283/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC 192.7 miles from Beaufort
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,354
Avg net price $16,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Beaufort

Beaufort is part of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC metro area (BLS area code 25940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $35,960 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $36,694
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $51,200 SC statewide $52,245
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $52,280 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $53,347
Childcare Workers $30,740 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $31,367
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,800 SC statewide $61,020
Social and Human Service Assistants $43,480 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $44,367
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $64,810 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC $66,133
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $51,880 SC statewide $52,939

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.

Beaufort at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 13,660 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,454 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Beaufort-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Beaufort, SC?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering child development programs near Beaufort. The closest is College of Charleston in Charleston, SC (50.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Voorhees University (64.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Beaufort are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($64,810), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($59,800), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($52,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hilton Head Island instead of Beaufort?

Hilton Head Island, SC is 18.1 miles from Beaufort 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 Beaufort an affordable place to study child development?

Beaufort’s median household income of $59,454 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Beaufort while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Beaufort

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

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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