Best Early Childhood Education Schools Near Summerville, SC

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

Summerville, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs. Summerville has a population of about 51,262. Median household income is $78,621 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning early childhood education-related role is Kindergarten Teacher at a median $59,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Early Childhood Education Schools to Summerville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer early childhood education programs near Summerville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Summerville 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 Summerville. 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

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC 6.4 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,898
Avg net price $21,666/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 20.6 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, SC 51.6 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,262
Avg net price $18,097/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Claflin University

Orangeburg, SC 51.9 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,304
Avg net price $17,800/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of South Carolina Beaufort

Bluffton, SC 66.9 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,088
Avg net price $14,656/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 84.2 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC 86.7 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,258
Avg net price $13,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 87.1 miles from Summerville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Early Childhood Education Wages Near Summerville

Summerville is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area (BLS area code 16700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Preschool Teacher $35,710 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $35,356
Kindergarten Teacher $59,580 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $58,990
Preschool and Childcare Center Director $56,670 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $56,109
Teaching Assistant $28,040 Charleston-North Charleston, SC $27,762

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.

Summerville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,262 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $78,621 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 31.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Summerville-Area Cities With Early Childhood Education Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited early childhood education schools are near Summerville, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering early childhood education programs near Summerville. The closest is Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC (6.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Carolina Beaufort (66.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying early childhood education-related roles near Summerville are: Kindergarten Teacher ($59,580), Preschool and Childcare Center Director ($56,670), Preschool Teacher ($35,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Charleston instead of Summerville?

North Charleston, SC is 9.1 miles from Summerville 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 Summerville an affordable place to study early childhood education?

Summerville’s median household income of $78,621 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Summerville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 Summerville

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

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.

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