Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Hot Springs, AR (2026)

Hot Springs, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $3,336 to $21,129 per year for indexed programs. Hot Springs has a population of about 38,023. Median household income is $46,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Hot Springs, AR metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $55,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Hot Springs

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

#1

Central Baptist College

Conway, AR 53.4 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 41.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,789
Avg net price $12,287/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, AR 60.5 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 38.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,550
Avg net price $12,653/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,412
Out‑of‑state$17,992
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana

Hope, AR 66.6 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 49.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,162
Avg net price $9,270/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Arkansas State University-Beebe

Beebe, AR 76.7 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 49.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,603
Avg net price $11,698/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,336
Out‑of‑state$5,232
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Southern Arkansas University Main Campus

Magnolia, AR 83.7 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 40.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,386
Avg net price $14,027/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South Arkansas College

El Dorado, AR 91.2 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 49.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,521
Avg net price $7,486/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Arkansas at Monticello

Monticello, AR 94.3 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 49.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,902
Avg net price $14,287/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,292
Out‑of‑state$14,857
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

Fort Smith, AR 97.2 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 63.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,102
Avg net price $10,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Hot Springs

Hot Springs is part of the Hot Springs, AR metro area (BLS area code 26300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$35,600Hot Springs, AR$41,540
Kindergarten Teacher$55,670Hot Springs, AR$64,959
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$44,990AR statewide$52,497
Teaching Assistant$29,010Hot Springs, AR$33,851

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.


Hot Springs at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population38,023Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$46,441Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hot Springs-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Hot Springs, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Hot Springs. The closest is Central Baptist College in Conway, AR (53.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Arkansas University Main Campus (83.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Hot Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Hot Springs are: Kindergarten Teacher ($55,670), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($44,990), Preschool Teacher ($35,600). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Benton instead of Hot Springs?

Benton, AR is 27.8 miles from Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Hot Springs’s median household income of $46,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hot Springs while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 Hot Springs

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

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.