Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Burlington, IA (2026)

Burlington, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,420 to $51,141 per year for indexed programs. Burlington has a population of about 23,800. Median household income is $55,274 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $58,420 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Burlington

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

#1

Southeastern Community College

West Burlington, IA 2.5 miles from Burlington BOC Score 50.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,882
Avg net price $12,347/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,420
Out‑of‑state$6,570
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Iowa Community College District

Davenport, IA 57.1 miles from Burlington BOC Score 47.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,060
Avg net price $14,017/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA 58.0 miles from Burlington BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,531
Avg net price $24,691/yr
Tuition
In‑state$36,658
Out‑of‑state$36,658
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA 68.1 miles from Burlington BOC Score 56.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,507
Avg net price $10,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA 124.1 miles from Burlington BOC Score 59.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,010
Avg net price $8,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, IA 136.7 miles from Burlington BOC Score 68.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,177
Avg net price $15,901/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,936
Out‑of‑state$21,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Iowa State University

Ames, IA 155.4 miles from Burlington BOC Score 76.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,386
Avg net price $18,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA 162.3 miles from Burlington BOC Score 50.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,562
Avg net price $11,451/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Burlington

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Iowa, statewide)
Preschool Teacher$33,830
Kindergarten Teacher$58,420
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$47,480
Teaching Assistant$30,510

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.


Burlington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,800Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$55,274Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Burlington-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Burlington, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Burlington. The closest is Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, IA (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Quincy University (61.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles in Iowa?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles in Iowa are: Kindergarten Teacher ($58,420), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($47,480), Preschool Teacher ($33,830). Wages for Burlington workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Galesburg instead of Burlington?

Galesburg, IL is 40.3 miles from Burlington 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 Burlington an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Burlington’s median household income of $55,274 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Burlington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Burlington

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

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.