Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Dearborn, MI (2026)

Dearborn, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Dearborn has a population of about 107,846. Median household income is $65,192 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $70,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Dearborn

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

#1

University of Michigan-Dearborn

Dearborn, MI 1.2 miles from Dearborn BOC Score 71.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,649
Avg net price $9,492/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, MI 1.3 miles from Dearborn BOC Score 53.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,795
Avg net price $660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Dearborn

Dearborn is part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area (BLS area code 19820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$37,500Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$37,388
Kindergarten Teacher$70,800Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$70,588
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$58,840Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$58,664
Teaching Assistant$35,450Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$35,344

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.


Dearborn at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population107,846Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,192Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Dearborn-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Dearborn, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Dearborn. The closest is University of Michigan-Dearborn in Dearborn, MI (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Washtenaw Community College (23.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Dearborn are: Kindergarten Teacher ($70,800), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($58,840), Preschool Teacher ($37,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dearborn Heights instead of Dearborn?

Dearborn Heights, MI is 3.3 miles from Dearborn 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 Dearborn an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Dearborn’s median household income of $65,192 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dearborn while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Dearborn

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.