Best Child Development Schools Near Gaffney, SC (2026)

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

Gaffney, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $2,030 to $18,132 per year for indexed programs. Gaffney has a population of about 12,612. Median household income is $41,214 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Carolina, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $60,890 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Gaffney

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

Converse University

Spartanburg, SC 16.9 miles from Gaffney
  • 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

#2

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC 42.5 miles from Gaffney
  • 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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#3

Southern Wesleyan University

Central, SC 67.1 miles from Gaffney
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,756
Avg net price $15,464/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 67.9 miles from Gaffney
  • 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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#5

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 79.5 miles from Gaffney
  • 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

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 81.8 miles from Gaffney
  • 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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#7

Voorhees University

Denmark, SC 125.8 miles from Gaffney
  • 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

#8

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC 170.6 miles from Gaffney
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Carolina schools on the South Carolina child development page.

Child Development Wages Near Gaffney

Occupation Median Annual Wage (South Carolina, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $34,500
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $51,200
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $51,800
Childcare Workers $29,650
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,800
Social and Human Service Assistants $38,550
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $60,890
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $51,880

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.

Gaffney at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 12,612 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $41,214 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Gaffney-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Gaffney. The closest is Cleveland Community College in Shelby, NC (16.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bob Jones University (42.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles in South Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in South Carolina are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($60,890), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($59,800), Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other ($51,880). Wages for Gaffney workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Shelby instead of Gaffney?

Shelby, NC is 16.2 miles from Gaffney 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 Gaffney an affordable place to study child development?

Gaffney’s median household income of $41,214 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gaffney 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 Gaffney

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

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 South Carolina (2026)