Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Akron, OH (2026)

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

Akron, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education 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.

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

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#1

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 10.4 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 181

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Malone University

Canton, OH 19.1 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,909
Avg net price $20,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 26.5 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 30.2 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, OH 36.8 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,837
Avg net price $3,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ashland University

Ashland, OH 44.3 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
52.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,928
Avg net price $21,988/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,210
Out‑of‑state$31,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Lake Erie College

Painesville, OH 46.2 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,417
Avg net price $20,961/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Muskingum University

New Concord, OH 75.7 miles from Akron
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 82%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,440
Avg net price $19,532/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,665
Out‑of‑state$32,665
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher $34,490 Akron, OH $36,927
Kindergarten Teacher $66,240 Akron, OH $70,921
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $48,510 Akron, OH $51,938
Teaching Assistant $35,960 Akron, 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

Metric Value Source
Population 189,526 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,544 Census 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 Kent State University at Kent in Kent, OH (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Baldwin Wallace University (26.5 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: 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 Ohio (2026)