Monterey, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $82,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Monterey
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Monterey, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Monterey 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 Monterey.
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 Monterey
Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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 | $47,280 | Salinas, CA | $43,376 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $82,550 | CA statewide | $75,734 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director | $76,620 | Salinas, CA | $70,294 |
| Teaching Assistant | $48,030 | Salinas, CA | $44,064 |
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.
Monterey at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 29,772 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $104,110 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 54.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 109.0 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Monterey-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Seaside, CA – 4.0 mi away (118,670 pop)
- Marina, CA – 8.0 mi away (21,688 pop)
- Salinas, CA – 15.3 mi away (193,126 pop)
- Watsonville, CA – 23.5 mi away (77,266 pop)
- Santa Cruz, CA – 28.0 mi away (176,037 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Monterey, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Monterey. The closest is San Jose State University in San Jose, CA (51.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Mary’s College of California (87.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Monterey?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Monterey are: Kindergarten Teacher ($82,550), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($76,620), Teaching Assistant ($48,030). 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 Seaside instead of Monterey?
Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study early childhood education?
Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey 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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