Best Child Development Schools Near Columbia, SC (2026)

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

Columbia, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs. Columbia has a population of about 138,019. Median household income is $55,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbia, SC metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $60,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Columbia

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

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 6.8 miles from Columbia
  • 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

#2

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 7.2 miles from Columbia
  • 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

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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 Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, SC metro area (BLS area code 17900). 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 $31,510 Columbia, SC $33,629
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $46,510 Columbia, SC $49,637
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,610 Columbia, SC $54,013
Childcare Workers $28,850 Columbia, SC $30,790
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,360 Columbia, SC $63,351
Social and Human Service Assistants $38,550 Columbia, SC $41,142
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $60,880 Columbia, SC $64,973
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $53,710 Columbia, SC $57,321

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.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 138,019 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,653 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Columbia. The closest is Benedict College in Columbia, SC (6.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Converse University (85.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Columbia are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($60,880), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($59,360), Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other ($53,710). 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 Lexington instead of Columbia?

Lexington, SC is 18.4 miles from Columbia 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 Columbia an affordable place to study child development?

Columbia’s median household income of $55,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia 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 Columbia

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

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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