Gardner, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Gardner has a population of about 21,075. Median household income is $62,948 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $89,770 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Gardner
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Gardner, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gardner 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Gardner.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,874
Avg net price
$14,262/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,651
Avg net price
$28,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,624
Avg net price
$13,381/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,349
Avg net price
$16,114/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 58
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,705
Avg net price
$27,511/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,124
Avg net price
$23,274/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,540
Avg net price
$17,545/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$75,584
Avg net price
$37,927/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 86
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts early childhood education page.
Early Childhood Education Wages Near Gardner
Gardner is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Preschool Teacher |
$44,460 |
Worcester, MA |
$43,376 |
| Kindergarten Teacher |
$89,770 |
Worcester, MA |
$87,580 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director |
$70,560 |
Worcester, MA |
$68,839 |
| Teaching Assistant |
$39,240 |
Worcester, MA |
$38,283 |
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.
Gardner at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
21,075 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$62,948 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
22.8% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
102.5 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Gardner-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Fitchburg, MA – 8.7 mi away (40,414 pop)
- Leominster, MA – 11.8 mi away (119,538 pop)
- Worcester, MA – 23.5 mi away (495,856 pop)
- Nashua, NH – 27.6 mi away (230,061 pop)
- Marlborough, MA – 27.7 mi away (39,697 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Gardner, MA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Gardner. The closest is Fitchburg State University in Fitchburg, MA (10.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Nashua Community College (27.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Gardner?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Gardner are: Kindergarten Teacher ($89,770), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($70,560), Preschool Teacher ($44,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Fitchburg instead of Gardner?
Fitchburg, MA is 8.7 miles from Gardner 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 Gardner an affordable place to study early childhood education?
Gardner’s median household income of $62,948 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gardner while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Gardner
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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.
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