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

Norwalk, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,160 to $23,191 per year for indexed programs. Norwalk has a population of about 100,713. Median household income is $98,709 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $78,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Norwalk

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

#1

Biola University

La Mirada, CA 3.9 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 61.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,778
Avg net price $31,495/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bethesda University

Anaheim, CA 9.3 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 38.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 16%
Avg net price $11,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 49%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA 10.5 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 70.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,162
Avg net price $8,615/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,449
Out‑of‑state$20,049
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 34

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

#4

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 11.2 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 85.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 27

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

#5

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 12.0 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 73.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,211
Avg net price $3,967/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 33

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

#6

The Chicago School at Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 14.0 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 32.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Pacific Oaks College

Pasadena, CA 17.5 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 58.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,485
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA 19.9 miles from Norwalk BOC Score 58.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,541
Avg net price $21,241/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Norwalk

Norwalk is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$46,600Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$41,021
Kindergarten Teacher$78,400Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$69,014
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$67,140Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$59,102
Teaching Assistant$46,240Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$40,704

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.


Norwalk at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population100,713Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$98,709Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Norwalk-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Norwalk. The closest is Biola University in La Mirada, CA (3.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Los Angeles (12.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Norwalk are: Kindergarten Teacher ($78,400), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($67,140), Preschool Teacher ($46,600). 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 Cerritos instead of Norwalk?

Cerritos, CA is 2.8 miles from Norwalk 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 Norwalk an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Norwalk’s median household income of $98,709 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norwalk 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 Norwalk

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

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.