San Carlos, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,850 per year for indexed programs. San Carlos has a population of about 29,797. Median household income is $233,333 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 68.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $78,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to San Carlos
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near San Carlos, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from San Carlos 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 San Carlos.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,401
Avg net price
$9,320/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,077
Avg net price
$12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,812
Avg net price
$30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,248
Avg net price
$5,524/yr
TuitionIn‑state$13,500
Out‑of‑state$13,500
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 9
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$70,484
Avg net price
$41,008/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 88%
- Programs offered: 18
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,188
Avg net price
$6,067/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,876
Avg net price
$9,338/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 30
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 San Carlos
San Carlos is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). 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 | $53,810 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,548 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $74,600 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $64,533 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director | $78,770 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $68,140 |
| Teaching Assistant | $49,360 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,699 |
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.
San Carlos at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 29,797 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $233,333 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 68.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other San Carlos-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Belmont, CA – 1.9 mi away (27,081 pop)
- Redwood City, CA – 2.4 mi away (84,950 pop)
- Foster City, CA – 3.9 mi away (34,175 pop)
- San Mateo, CA – 4.4 mi away (103,959 pop)
- Menlo Park, CA – 5.9 mi away (33,888 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near San Carlos, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near San Carlos. The closest is California State University-East Bay in Hayward, CA (15.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto Campuses (62.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near San Carlos?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near San Carlos are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($78,770), Kindergarten Teacher ($74,600), Preschool Teacher ($53,810). 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 Belmont instead of San Carlos?
Belmont, CA is 1.9 miles from San Carlos 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 San Carlos an affordable place to study early childhood education?
San Carlos’s median household income of $233,333 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Carlos 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: 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.
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