Best Online Early Childhood Education Programs in Akron, OH (2026)

Akron, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs, with tuition ranging from $13,135 to $26,284 per year for indexed programs. Akron has a population of about 189,526. Median household income is $48,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Akron, OH metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $66,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Akron

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

#1

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 0.3 miles from Akron BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Early Childhood Education Wages Near Akron

Akron is part of the Akron, OH metro area (BLS area code 10420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher$34,490Akron, OH$36,927
Kindergarten Teacher$66,240Akron, OH$70,921
Preschool and Childcare Center Director$48,510Akron, OH$51,938
Teaching Assistant$35,960Akron, OH$38,501

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.


Akron at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population189,526Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+23.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Akron-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Akron, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Akron. The closest is University of Akron Main Campus in Akron, OH (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Walsh University (16.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Akron are: Kindergarten Teacher ($66,240), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($48,510), Teaching Assistant ($35,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cuyahoga Falls instead of Akron?

Cuyahoga Falls, OH is 5.8 miles from Akron 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 Akron an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Akron’s median household income of $48,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Akron while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Akron

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

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.