Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in West Memphis, AR (2026)

West Memphis, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $3,312 to $48,038 per year for indexed programs. West Memphis has a population of about 24,147. Median household income is $41,860 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $56,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to West Memphis

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

#1

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas

Helena, AR 48.5 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 52.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,552
Avg net price $4,848/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Arkansas Northeastern College

Blytheville, AR 54.0 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 52.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,169
Avg net price $5,375/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, AR 54.7 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,617
Avg net price $12,366/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,090
Out‑of‑state$14,522
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Arkansas State University-Newport

Newport, AR 65.0 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 57.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,524
Avg net price $8,444/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,312
Out‑of‑state$4,752
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville

Batesville, AR 91.1 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 54.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,706
Avg net price $8,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Arkansas State University-Beebe

Beebe, AR 96.0 miles from West Memphis 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

#7

Ozarka College

Melbourne, AR 114.0 miles from West Memphis BOC Score 57.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,314
Avg net price $4,543/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff, AR 121.2 miles from West Memphis 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

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near West Memphis

West Memphis is part of the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area (BLS area code 32820). 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$36,250Memphis, TN-MS-AR$39,317
Kindergarten Teacher$56,780Memphis, TN-MS-AR$61,584
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$56,320Memphis, TN-MS-AR$61,085
Teaching Assistant$29,330Memphis, TN-MS-AR$31,811

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.


West Memphis at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,147Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$41,860Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+14.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other West Memphis-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near West Memphis, AR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near West Memphis. The closest is Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN (12.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arkansas State University-Newport (65.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near West Memphis?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near West Memphis are: Kindergarten Teacher ($56,780), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($56,320), Preschool Teacher ($36,250). 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 Memphis instead of West Memphis?

Memphis, TN is 13.0 miles from West Memphis 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 West Memphis an affordable place to study early childhood education?

West Memphis’s median household income of $41,860 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in West Memphis 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 West Memphis

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

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.