Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Haines City, FL

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Haines City, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $3,122 to $49,329 per year for indexed programs. Haines City has a population of about 31,156. Median household income is $58,227 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $56,920 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Haines City

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

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

Sort:
#1

Polk State College

Winter Haven, FL 7.9 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,624
Avg net price $9,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 19.3 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 42.4 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seminole State College of Florida

Sanford, FL 47.7 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,733
Avg net price $8,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,122
Out‑of‑state$11,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 48.7 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 52.7 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Eastern Florida State College

Melbourne, FL 57.7 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,195
Avg net price $6,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,496
Out‑of‑state$9,739
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 66.5 miles from Haines City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Haines City

Haines City is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area (BLS area code 29460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher $34,780 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $35,819
Kindergarten Teacher $49,960 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $51,452
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $56,920 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $58,620
Teaching Assistant $32,610 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $33,584

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.

Haines City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $58,227 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 19.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Haines City-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Haines City, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Haines City. The closest is Polk State College in Winter Haven, FL (7.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Florida (48.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Haines City are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($56,920), Kindergarten Teacher ($49,960), Preschool Teacher ($34,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winter Haven instead of Haines City?

Winter Haven, FL is 8.5 miles from Haines City 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 Haines City an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Haines City’s median household income of $58,227 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Haines City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Haines City

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Florida (2026)