Best Child Development Schools Near Yakima, WA (2026)

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

Yakima, Washington is home to about 96,810 residents. Median household income is $59,228 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning child development-related role is Special Education Teachers, Preschool at a median $86,580 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Yakima

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer child development programs near Yakima, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Yakima 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 Yakima. 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 112.2 miles from Yakima
  • 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

South Puget Sound Community College

Olympia, WA 116.4 miles from Yakima
  • 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

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#3

Shoreline Community College

Shoreline, WA 116.6 miles from Yakima
  • 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

Edmonds College

Lynnwood, WA 118.8 miles from Yakima
  • 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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#5

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, WA 151.6 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#6

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, WA 152.8 miles from Yakima
  • 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

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 161.1 miles from Yakima
  • 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

#8

Whatcom Community College

Bellingham, WA 176.9 miles from Yakima
  • 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

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

Child Development Wages Near Yakima

Yakima is part of the Yakima, WA metro area (BLS area code 49420). 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 $41,670 Yakima, WA $43,634
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $72,250 Yakima, WA $75,654
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $67,650 Yakima, WA $70,838
Childcare Workers $36,550 Yakima, WA $38,272
Special Education Teachers, Preschool $86,580 WA statewide $90,660
Social and Human Service Assistants $49,160 Yakima, WA $51,476
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $84,700 Yakima, WA $88,691
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $62,680 Yakima, WA $65,634

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.

Yakima at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 96,810 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $59,228 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 20.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Yakima-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Yakima are: Special Education Teachers, Preschool ($86,580), Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($84,700), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($72,250). 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 Yakima?

Ellensburg, WA is 28.2 miles from Yakima 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 Yakima an affordable place to study child development?

Yakima’s median household income of $59,228 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Yakima 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 Yakima

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

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 Washington (2026)