Best Child Development Schools Near Plainview, TX (2026)

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

Plainview, Texas has 3 accredited schools offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $2,731 to $13,784 per year for indexed programs. Plainview has a population of about 19,893. Median household income is $45,991 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $65,680 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Plainview

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

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 42.9 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,454
Avg net price $19,070/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Midland College

Midland, TX 151.0 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,958
Avg net price $4,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX 162.8 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,073
Avg net price $12,723/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hardin-Simmons University

Abilene, TX 164.9 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,771
Avg net price $19,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Odessa College

Odessa, TX 165.1 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,026
Avg net price $6,368/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Abilene Christian University

Abilene, TX 166.3 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,736
Avg net price $26,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Weatherford College

Weatherford, TX 247.7 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,397
Avg net price $9,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of North Texas

Denton, TX 271.5 miles from Plainview
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,010
Avg net price $15,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 138

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Plainview

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Texas, statewide)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $33,860
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $50,840
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $55,680
Childcare Workers $28,570
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $65,680
Social and Human Service Assistants $45,860
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $63,780
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $48,400

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.

Plainview at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 19,893 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $45,991 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Plainview-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Plainview, TX?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering child development programs near Plainview. The closest is Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX (42.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Amarillo College (69.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles in Texas are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($65,680), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($63,780), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($55,680). Wages for Plainview workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lubbock instead of Plainview?

Lubbock, TX is 44.1 miles from Plainview 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 Plainview an affordable place to study child development?

Plainview’s median household income of $45,991 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Plainview while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Plainview

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

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 Texas (2026)