Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Salisbury, NC (2026)

Salisbury, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Salisbury has a population of about 35,730. Median household income is $51,058 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Preschool and Childcare Center Director at a median $59,430 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Salisbury

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

#1

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Salisbury, NC 1.8 miles from Salisbury BOC Score 47.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,936
Avg net price $7,981/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Salisbury

Salisbury is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$36,480Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$37,492
Kindergarten Teacher$58,950Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$60,586
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$59,430Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$61,079
Teaching Assistant$29,730Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$30,555

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.


Salisbury at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,730Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,058Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Salisbury-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Salisbury, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Salisbury. The closest is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in Salisbury, NC (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Forsyth Technical Community College (30.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Salisbury are: Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($59,430), Kindergarten Teacher ($58,950), Preschool Teacher ($36,480). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kannapolis instead of Salisbury?

Kannapolis, NC is 15.5 miles from Salisbury 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 Salisbury an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Salisbury’s median household income of $51,058 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salisbury while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Salisbury

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

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.