Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Joplin, MO (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Joplin, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $10,104 to $29,966 per year for indexed programs. Joplin has a population of about 52,218. Median household income is $51,154 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Joplin, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $48,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Joplin

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO 67.7 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,827
Avg net price $17,613/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 200

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Evangel University

Springfield, MO 69.0 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,573
Avg net price $18,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

College of the Ozarks

Point Lookout, MO 76.8 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,592
Avg net price $6,100/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, MO 123.5 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 64%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,560
Avg net price $14,462/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, MO 135.2 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,102
Avg net price $25,884/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 135.3 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,637
Avg net price $13,310/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 103

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Park University

Parkville, MO 146.3 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,309
Avg net price $21,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Missouri Valley College

Marshall, MO 157.5 miles from Joplin
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,221
Avg net price $18,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Joplin

Joplin is part of the Joplin, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 27900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher $31,330 Joplin, MO-KS $36,558
Kindergarten Teacher $48,340 Joplin, MO-KS $56,406
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $47,940 MO statewide $55,939
Teaching Assistant $35,050 Joplin, MO-KS $40,898

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.

Joplin at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 52,218 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $51,154 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 85.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Joplin-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Joplin, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Joplin. The closest is NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, AR (52.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of the Ozarks (76.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Joplin are: Kindergarten Teacher ($48,340), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($47,940), Teaching Assistant ($35,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pittsburg instead of Joplin?

Pittsburg, KS is 25.7 miles from Joplin 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 Joplin an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Joplin’s median household income of $51,154 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Joplin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Joplin

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

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.

Back to Best Early Childhood Education Schools in Missouri (2026)