Bessemer, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $9,098 to $28,145 per year for indexed programs. Bessemer has a population of about 25,655. Median household income is $37,844 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Alabama, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $50,900 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Bessemer
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Bessemer, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bessemer 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Bessemer.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,501
Avg net price
$18,749/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$32,229
Avg net price
$15,560/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 13
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,235
Avg net price
$14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 30
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
98%
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,502
Avg net price
$20,435/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,248
Out‑of‑state$19,576
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,232
Avg net price
$12,684/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 4
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
58%
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,628
Avg net price
$17,621/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,024
Out‑of‑state$18,634
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
46%
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,337
Avg net price
$24,323/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama early childhood education page.
Early Childhood Education Wages Near Bessemer
Bessemer is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Preschool Teacher | $28,540 | Birmingham, AL | $31,157 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $50,900 | AL statewide | $55,568 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director | $44,470 | Birmingham, AL | $48,548 |
| Teaching Assistant | $27,480 | Birmingham, AL | $30,000 |
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.
Bessemer at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 25,655 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $37,844 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 14.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Bessemer-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Hoover, AL – 9.5 mi away (84,978 pop)
- Homewood, AL – 11.3 mi away (25,613 pop)
- Pelham, AL – 13.0 mi away (23,050 pop)
- Alabaster, AL – 13.5 mi away (32,948 pop)
- Vestavia Hills, AL – 14.2 mi away (34,688 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Bessemer, AL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Bessemer. The closest is University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL (13.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of West Alabama (88.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Bessemer?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Bessemer are: Kindergarten Teacher ($50,900), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($44,470), Preschool Teacher ($28,540). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Hoover instead of Bessemer?
Hoover, AL is 9.5 miles from Bessemer and has its own set of local early childhood education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Bessemer an affordable place to study early childhood education?
Bessemer’s median household income of $37,844 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bessemer while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama 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 Early Childhood Education Programs
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Data verified: July 30, 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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