Best Child Development Schools Near Sioux Falls, SD (2026)

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

Sioux Falls, South Dakota has 1 accredited school offering child development programs. Sioux Falls has a population of about 197,642. Median household income is $74,714 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare at a median $63,650 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Sioux Falls

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

South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD 53.9 miles from Sioux Falls
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,070
Avg net price $19,841/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Sisseton Wahpeton College

Sisseton, SD 140.8 miles from Sioux Falls
  • 4 year
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,546
Avg net price $2,977/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls is part of the Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (BLS area code 43620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Dakota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $46,370 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $51,181
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $63,650 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $70,254
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $51,400 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $56,733
Childcare Workers $28,030 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $30,938
Special Education Teachers, Preschool N/A SD statewide –
Social and Human Service Assistants $36,430 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $40,210
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $48,490 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $53,521
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other N/A SD statewide –

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.

Sioux Falls at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 197,642 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $74,714 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sioux Falls-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Sioux Falls, SD?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering child development programs near Sioux Falls. The closest is South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD (53.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Dakota State University (53.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying child development roles near Sioux Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Sioux Falls are: Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($63,650), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($51,400), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($48,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Dakota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brookings instead of Sioux Falls?

Brookings, SD is 52.9 miles from Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls an affordable place to study child development?

Sioux Falls’s median household income of $74,714 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sioux Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Dakota 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 Sioux Falls

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

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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