Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Modesto, CA (2026)

Updated August 10, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Modesto, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. Modesto has a population of about 218,614. Median household income is $77,899 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Modesto, CA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $103,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Modesto

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Modesto, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Modesto 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 Modesto. 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

Tuition

In‑state$8,093

Out‑of‑state$20,693

Contact

5500 University Parkway San Bernardino, CA 92407-2393
(909) 537-5000
Visit website

Key stats

Retention rate: 79%
Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDS College Scorecard

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

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Modesto

Modesto is part of the Modesto, CA metro area (BLS area code 33700). 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	$49,500	Modesto, CA	$47,550
Kindergarten Teacher	$103,790	Modesto, CA	$99,702
Preschool and Childcare Center Director	$70,180	Modesto, CA	$67,416
Teaching Assistant	$47,990	Modesto, CA	$46,100

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.

Modesto at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	218,614	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$77,899	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	20.3%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	104.1 (above U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Modesto-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Ceres, CA – 3.6 mi away (48,278 pop)
Riverbank, CA – 7.1 mi away (24,389 pop)
Turlock, CA – 12.1 mi away (106,100 pop)
Oakdale, CA – 12.2 mi away (22,564 pop)
Patterson, CA – 13.7 mi away (22,169 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Modesto, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Modesto. The closest is California State University-Stanislaus in Turlock, CA (11.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Mary’s College of California (62.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Modesto are: Kindergarten Teacher ($103,790), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($70,180), Preschool Teacher ($49,500). 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 Ceres instead of Modesto?

Ceres, CA is 3.6 miles from Modesto 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 Modesto an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Modesto’s median household income of $77,899 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Modesto 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

Other Programs Available in Modesto

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

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.

Back to Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in California (2026)