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

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

Santa Rosa, California has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $7,583 to $22,945 per year for indexed programs. Santa Rosa has a population of about 177,216. Median household income is $97,410 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $92,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Santa Rosa

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 419.7 miles from Santa Rosa
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
78.4 BOC Score
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
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 14

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

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

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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$46,710Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$43,330
Kindergarten Teacher$92,910Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$86,187
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$58,330Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$54,109
Teaching Assistant$48,270Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$44,777

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.

Santa Rosa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population177,216Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,410Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)107.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Rosa-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Santa Rosa. The closest is Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA (16.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Sacramento (69.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Santa Rosa are: Kindergarten Teacher ($92,910), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($58,330), Teaching Assistant ($48,270). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Santa Rosa?

Rohnert Park, CA is 6.8 miles from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Santa Rosa’s median household income of $97,410 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa

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

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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