Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Fountain, CO (2026)

Fountain, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $10,149 to $24,595 per year for indexed programs. Fountain has a population of about 29,327. Median household income is $85,246 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Colorado Springs, CO metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $63,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Fountain

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

#1

Pikes Peak State College

Colorado Springs, CO 8.0 miles from Fountain BOC Score 50.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,796
Avg net price $6,007/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, CO 15.7 miles from Fountain BOC Score 48.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,659
Avg net price $15,788/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,149
Out‑of‑state$24,336
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Colorado State University Pueblo

Pueblo, CO 26.6 miles from Fountain BOC Score 50.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,563
Avg net price $10,051/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Pueblo Community College

Pueblo, CO 29.3 miles from Fountain BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,434
Avg net price $12,045/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 66.3 miles from Fountain BOC Score 57.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 74.3 miles from Fountain BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $29,500/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,342
Out‑of‑state$41,342
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 74.6 miles from Fountain BOC Score 61.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 75.0 miles from Fountain BOC Score 37.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Fountain

Fountain is part of the Colorado Springs, CO metro area (BLS area code 17820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$40,850Colorado Springs, CO$40,566
Kindergarten Teacher$59,830Colorado Springs, CO$59,414
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$63,900Colorado Springs, CO$63,456
Teaching Assistant$34,840Colorado Springs, CO$34,598

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.


Fountain at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,327Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,246Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Fountain-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Fountain, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Fountain. The closest is Pikes Peak State College in Colorado Springs, CO (8.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Arapahoe Community College (66.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Fountain are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($63,900), Kindergarten Teacher ($59,830), Preschool Teacher ($40,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Colorado Springs instead of Fountain?

Colorado Springs, CO is 13.3 miles from Fountain 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 Fountain an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Fountain’s median household income of $85,246 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fountain while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado 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 Fountain

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

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.