Apple Valley, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $6,679 to $58,569 per year for indexed programs. Apple Valley has a population of about 55,696. Median household income is $99,277 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $80,780 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Apple Valley
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Apple Valley, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Apple Valley 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 Apple Valley.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
79%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,871
Avg net price
$18,462/yr
TuitionIn‑state$25,600
Out‑of‑state$25,600
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 48
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,764
Avg net price
$28,556/yr
TuitionIn‑state$44,226
Out‑of‑state$44,226
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,106
Avg net price
$20,744/yr
TuitionIn‑state$50,004
Out‑of‑state$50,004
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,705
Avg net price
$16,863/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 43
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,020
Avg net price
$16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 79
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,189
Avg net price
$17,956/yr
TuitionIn‑state$14,400
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Key stats- Retention rate: 37%
- Programs offered: 67
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,810
Avg net price
$33,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 12%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
87%
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,491
Avg net price
$18,463/yr
TuitionIn‑state$18,120
Out‑of‑state$18,120
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Minnesota schools on the Minnesota early childhood education page.
Early Childhood Education Wages Near Apple Valley
Apple Valley is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Preschool Teacher | $43,960 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $41,947 |
| Kindergarten Teacher | $80,780 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $77,080 |
| Preschool and Childcare Center Director | $64,800 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $61,832 |
| Teaching Assistant | $45,310 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $43,235 |
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.
Apple Valley at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 55,696 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $99,277 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 45.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 104.8 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Apple Valley-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs
- Burnsville, MN – 4.1 mi away (61,290 pop)
- Eagan, MN – 5.2 mi away (66,428 pop)
- Lakeville, MN – 5.3 mi away (61,938 pop)
- Farmington, MN – 6.3 mi away (22,656 pop)
- Rosemount, MN – 6.6 mi away (23,911 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Apple Valley, MN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Apple Valley. The closest is Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, MN (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hamline University (15.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying early childhood education roles near Apple Valley?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Apple Valley are: Kindergarten Teacher ($80,780), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($64,800), Teaching Assistant ($45,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Burnsville instead of Apple Valley?
Burnsville, MN is 4.1 miles from Apple Valley 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 Apple Valley an affordable place to study early childhood education?
Apple Valley’s median household income of $99,277 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Apple Valley while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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
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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.
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