Best Child Development Schools Near Shelbyville, TN (2026)

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

Shelbyville, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs. Shelbyville has a population of about 24,125. Median household income is $52,290 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $59,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Shelbyville

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

Motlow State Community College

Tullahoma, TN 12.6 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,397
Avg net price $15,742/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN 48.9 miles from Shelbyville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,565
Avg net price $15,846/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Nashville State Community College

Nashville, TN 49.5 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,519
Avg net price $6,777/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Volunteer State Community College

Gallatin, TN 59.7 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,150
Avg net price $7,802/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Chattanooga State Community College

Chattanooga, TN 73.8 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,598
Avg net price $5,283/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,772
Out‑of‑state$17,756
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Cleveland State Community College

Cleveland, TN 91.0 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,671
Avg net price $6,384/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,762
Out‑of‑state$17,746
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Lee University

Cleveland, TN 92.0 miles from Shelbyville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,222
Avg net price $18,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Roane State Community College

Harriman, TN 106.1 miles from Shelbyville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,407
Avg net price $4,270/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Shelbyville

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $34,280
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $49,200
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $56,310
Childcare Workers $29,660
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $59,550
Social and Human Service Assistants $40,310
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $58,070
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $53,850

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.

Shelbyville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,125 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,290 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 11.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Shelbyville-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Shelbyville, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Shelbyville. The closest is Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma, TN (12.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Volunteer State Community College (59.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in Tennessee are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($59,550), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($58,070), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($56,310). Wages for Shelbyville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Murfreesboro instead of Shelbyville?

Murfreesboro, TN is 24.4 miles from Shelbyville 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 Shelbyville an affordable place to study child development?

Shelbyville’s median household income of $52,290 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Shelbyville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Shelbyville

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

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 Tennessee (2026)