Best Child Development Schools Near Wheeling, WV (2026)

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

Wheeling, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs. Wheeling has a population of about 26,670. Median household income is $48,498 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area, the top-earning child development-related role is Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education at a median $60,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Child Development Schools to Wheeling

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

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 49.7 miles from Wheeling
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $15,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Parkersburg, WV 73.4 miles from Wheeling
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,171
Avg net price $1,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

American Public University System

Charles Town, WV 160.3 miles from Wheeling
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,409
Avg net price $9,597/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Child Development Wages Near Wheeling

Wheeling is part of the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area (BLS area code 48540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education $32,700 Wheeling, WV-OH $37,033
Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare $45,660 WV statewide $51,710
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,450 Wheeling, WV-OH $57,135
Childcare Workers $29,110 Wheeling, WV-OH $32,967
Special Education Teachers, Preschool N/A WV statewide –
Social and Human Service Assistants $36,960 Wheeling, WV-OH $41,857
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education $60,880 Wheeling, WV-OH $68,947
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other $39,190 Wheeling, WV-OH $44,383

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.

Wheeling at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 26,670 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,498 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wheeling-Area Cities With Child Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited child development schools are near Wheeling, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering child development programs near Wheeling. The closest is Ohio University-Eastern Campus in Saint Clairsville, OH (14.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Virginia University (49.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying child development-related roles near Wheeling are: Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education ($60,880), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($50,450), Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare ($45,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Weirton instead of Wheeling?

Weirton, WV is 23.8 miles from Wheeling 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 Wheeling an affordable place to study child development?

Wheeling’s median household income of $48,498 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheeling while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia 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 Wheeling

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

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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