Best Child Development Schools Near Wenatchee, WA (2026)

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

Wenatchee, Washington has 1 accredited school offering child development programs, with tuition ranging from $4,810 to $20,062 per year for indexed programs. Wenatchee has a population of about 35,502. Median household income is $70,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $89,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Wenatchee

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

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 96.1 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Edmonds College

Lynnwood, WA 96.9 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,144
Avg net price $11,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,810
Out‑of‑state$10,875
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Shoreline Community College

Shoreline, WA 97.2 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,009
Avg net price $8,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, WA 115.3 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,505
Avg net price $6,064/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 125.1 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
59.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,039
Avg net price $9,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 128.3 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,897
Avg net price $13,886/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,586
Out‑of‑state$25,959
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 113

Source:Accreditor: Northwest Commission on Colleges and UniversitiesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Whatcom Community College

Bellingham, WA 137.5 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,092
Avg net price $11,795/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 156.7 miles from Wenatchee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,905
Avg net price $14,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Wenatchee

Wenatchee is part of the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA metro area (BLS area code 48300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $42,270 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $40,683
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $70,470 WA statewide $67,825
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $71,140 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $68,470
Childcare Workers $38,130 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $36,699
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $86,580 WA statewide $83,330
Social and Human Service Assistants $48,430 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $46,612
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $89,740 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $86,372
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $54,520 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA $52,474

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.

Wenatchee at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 35,502 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,000 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wenatchee-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Wenatchee, WA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering child development programs near Wenatchee. The closest is Edmonds College in Lynnwood, WA (96.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Edmonds College (96.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Wenatchee are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($89,740), Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($86,580), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($71,140). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ellensburg instead of Wenatchee?

Ellensburg, WA is 31.1 miles from Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee an affordable place to study child development?

Wenatchee’s median household income of $70,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wenatchee while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Wenatchee

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

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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