Best Online Elementary Education Programs in Cape Girardeau, MO (2026)

Cape Girardeau, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs. Cape Girardeau has a population of about 40,047. Median household income is $54,870 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning elementary education-related role is Middle School Teacher at a median $56,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Elementary Education Schools to Cape Girardeau

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

#1

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau, MO 1.8 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score 47.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,030
Avg net price $15,882/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Elementary Education Wages Near Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 16020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Elementary School Teacher$47,100Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$54,704
Middle School Teacher$56,090Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$65,145
Secondary School Teacher$48,570Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$56,411
Teaching Assistant$29,070Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$33,763

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.


Cape Girardeau at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,047Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,870Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cape Girardeau-Area Cities With Elementary Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited elementary education schools are near Cape Girardeau, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering elementary education programs near Cape Girardeau. The closest is Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Webster University (98.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying elementary education roles near Cape Girardeau?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying elementary education-related roles near Cape Girardeau are: Middle School Teacher ($56,090), Secondary School Teacher ($48,570), Elementary School Teacher ($47,100). 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 Carbondale instead of Cape Girardeau?

Carbondale, IL is 33.9 miles from Cape Girardeau and has its own set of local elementary education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Cape Girardeau an affordable place to study elementary education?

Cape Girardeau’s median household income of $54,870 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Girardeau 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 Elementary Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Cape Girardeau

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

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.