Merced, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. Merced has a population of about 89,766. Median household income is $59,938 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Merced, CA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $96,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Merced
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Merced, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Merced 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 Merced.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,977
Avg net price
$4,564/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California early childhood education page.
Early Childhood Education Wages Near Merced
Merced is part of the Merced, CA metro area (BLS area code 32900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Preschool Teacher | $48,120 | Merced, CA | $48,952 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $96,430 | Merced, CA | $98,098 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director | $68,440 | Merced, CA | $69,624 |
| Teaching Assistant | $44,680 | Merced, CA | $45,453 |
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.
Merced at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 89,766 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $59,938 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 18.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Merced-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Atwater, CA – 7.4 mi away (29,270 pop)
- Turlock, CA – 25.0 mi away (106,100 pop)
- Los Banos, CA – 26.1 mi away (37,584 pop)
- Madera, CA – 32.2 mi away (82,278 pop)
- Ceres, CA – 33.3 mi away (48,278 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Merced, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Merced. The closest is California State University-Stanislaus in Turlock, CA (25.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-East Bay (89.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Merced?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Merced are: Kindergarten Teacher ($96,430), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($68,440), Preschool Teacher ($48,120). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Atwater instead of Merced?
Atwater, CA is 7.4 miles from Merced 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 Merced an affordable place to study early childhood education?
Merced’s median household income of $59,938 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Merced while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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: August 10, 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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