Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Hattiesburg, MS (2026)

Hattiesburg, Mississippi has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Hattiesburg has a population of about 48,507. Median household income is $44,140 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Mississippi, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $49,740 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Hattiesburg

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

#1

Mississippi College

Clinton, MS 92.6 miles from Hattiesburg BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $27,712/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Holmes Community College

Goodman, MS 120.0 miles from Hattiesburg BOC Score 53.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,922
Avg net price $5,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Delta State University

Cleveland, MS 187.8 miles from Hattiesburg BOC Score 45.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,991
Avg net price $13,540/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Mississippi

University, MS 211.4 miles from Hattiesburg BOC Score 70.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,994
Avg net price $13,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg is part of the Hattiesburg, MS metro area (BLS area code 25620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Mississippi statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$28,830Hattiesburg, MS$32,911
Kindergarten Teacher$47,020Hattiesburg, MS$53,676
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$49,740MS statewide$56,781
Teaching Assistant$25,590Hattiesburg, MS$29,212

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.


Hattiesburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population48,507Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$44,140Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hattiesburg-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Hattiesburg, MS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Hattiesburg. The closest is University of Mobile in Mobile, AL (78.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mississippi College (92.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Hattiesburg are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($49,740), Kindergarten Teacher ($47,020), Preschool Teacher ($28,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Mississippi statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Hattiesburg?

Laurel, MS is 28.7 miles from Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Hattiesburg’s median household income of $44,140 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hattiesburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi 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 Hattiesburg

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

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.