Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Kansas City, KS (2026)

Kansas City, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $13,296 to $13,296 per year for indexed programs. Kansas City has a population of about 154,776. Median household income is $59,183 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $60,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Kansas City

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

#1

Ottawa University-Online

Overland Park, KS 14.5 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 60.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Tuition
In‑state$13,296
Out‑of‑state$13,296
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS 29.3 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 72.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,945
Avg net price $18,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Rasmussen University-Kansas

Topeka, KS 52.3 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 49.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,080
Avg net price $23,980/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 170.0 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Newman University

Wichita, KS 177.2 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 57.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,041
Avg net price $19,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southwestern College

Winfield, KS 177.3 miles from Kansas City BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,646
Avg net price $29,824/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Kansas City

Kansas City is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$37,400Kansas City, MO-KS$40,432
Kindergarten Teacher$60,410Kansas City, MO-KS$65,308
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$58,340Kansas City, MO-KS$63,070
Teaching Assistant$36,520Kansas City, MO-KS$39,481

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.


Kansas City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population154,776Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$59,183Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kansas City-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Kansas City, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Kansas City. The closest is Park University in Parkville, MO (5.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Kansas (29.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Kansas City are: Kindergarten Teacher ($60,410), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($58,340), Preschool Teacher ($37,400). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Shawnee instead of Kansas City?

Shawnee, KS is 8.2 miles from Kansas 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 Kansas City an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Kansas City’s median household income of $59,183 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kansas City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Kansas City

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

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.