Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Queen Creek, AZ (2026)

Queen Creek, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Queen Creek has a population of about 66,369. Median household income is $134,719 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $56,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Queen Creek

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Queen Creek, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Queen Creek 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 Queen Creek. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Mesa Community College

Mesa, AZ 16.9 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,034
Avg net price $12,132/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ 21.5 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 76.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
Avg net price $14,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ 22.7 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 60.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,015
Avg net price $8,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Aspen University

Phoenix, AZ 23.1 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 39.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 53%
Tuition
In‑state$6,870
Out‑of‑state$6,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 24.6 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 30.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 24.8 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 38.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ 30.9 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,870
Avg net price $12,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 34.1 miles from Queen Creek BOC Score 33.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona early childhood education page.


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Queen Creek

Queen Creek is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$36,500Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$35,334
Kindergarten Teacher$56,920Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$55,102
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$48,630Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$47,076
Teaching Assistant$36,450Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$35,286

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.


Queen Creek at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population66,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$134,719Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Queen Creek-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Queen Creek, AZ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Queen Creek. The closest is Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, AZ (9.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rio Salado College (22.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Queen Creek?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Queen Creek are: Kindergarten Teacher ($56,920), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($48,630), Preschool Teacher ($36,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Gilbert instead of Queen Creek?

Gilbert, AZ is 7.9 miles from Queen Creek 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 Queen Creek an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Queen Creek’s median household income of $134,719 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Queen Creek while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona 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

Other Programs Available in Queen Creek

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

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.