It takes a special person to work with future generations. Discover the 5 best online bachelor’s in child development below.
A bachelor’s degree in child development will prepare you for the environment and obstacles you will face while working in this rewarding field. Whether you work with infants, young children, or adolescents, you need to have a firm understanding of their particular context.
By earning your bachelor’s degree in child development, you will be the perfect candidate to assist, advise, and serve young children.
What is an Online Child Development Degree?
Throughout an undergraduate study in child development, you will learn the biological and psychological development of young children through infancy to adolescence. This will prepare you for a variety of careers within the childcare, child education, and child protection services.
Typically, students who complete their bachelor’s in child development end up in careers in education/daycare, social services, or administration. You’ll also have a firm understanding of all the external factors that play a role in a child’s life such as family, culture, and school.
How Much Can You Earn with an Online Child Development Degree?
It’s important to take into consideration that there are several job opportunities upon completing your online bachelor’s degree in child development. There’s potential for you to become a preschool teacher, executive director, elementary school teacher, program coordinator, or case manager.
With that being said, PayScale reported the average salary for individuals that have earned a bachelor’s in child development is $53,000. Payscale also reported that these individuals are highly satisfied with their job profession!
What is Required for an Online Child Development Degree?
Typically, students are required to complete 120 credit hours to earn their bachelor’s degree in child development. During the application process, most institutions will require a high school diploma or GED equivalent. You may also have to submit your test scores for the SAT or ACT.
Once enrolled in a child development undergraduate program, your major core requirements may include classes like foundations of play and learning, child development, and understanding behavior and family dynamics.
What are the Best Online Child Development Degrees?
OSR uses six data points: three school-wide and three program specific. For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s umbrella department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.
The six statistics are displayed by each school. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other US institutions. “Not reported” means a school did not release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page.
Union Institute & University
20-Year ROI$844,062![]()
Quick Facts
- Tuition: $12,720(in state) / $12,720(out of state)
- Total of 120 credit hours
- Classes start every eight weeks
- Up to 90 semester hours in transfer credits
School Wide
Program Level
100%OSR ScoreEarning your degree in child development from the Union Institute & University will prepare you for a career within the childcare sector. You will learn how to care for and work with children from birth through adolescence. There are full-time and part-time course schedules available.
Ashford University
20-Year ROI$818,512![]()
Quick Facts
- Tuition: $10,848(in state) / $10,848(out of state)
- Total of 120 credit hours
- Five-week courses
- Up to 90 approved semester hours
School Wide
Program Level
87%OSR ScoreAshford University offers a 100 percent online bachelor’s program in child development. Throughout this program, students will learn the biological and psychology progression of children, in all stages of life. Your main courses will involve topics in early child development, early childhood education, general education, and psychology.
Fresno Pacific University
20-Year ROI$877,597![]()
Quick Facts
- Tuition: $29,998(in state) / $29,998(out of state)
- Total of 39 units
- Requires on-campus orientation
- 60 transferable baccalaureate-level units
School Wide
Program Level
80%OSR ScoreFresno Pacific University offers a unique online experience. To earn your bachelor’s degree in early childhood development, you will be required to take a biblically-based course requirement. It typically takes students 24 months to complete this undergraduate program.
Post University
20-Year ROI$812,667![]()
Quick Facts
- Tuition: $15,258(in state) / $15,258(out of state)
- Total of 120 credit hours
- Capstone field placement
- Background check required
School Wide
Program Level
74%OSR ScoreEarn your bachelor’s degree in child studies at Post University. You’ll have the credentials to potentially work within early care/education centers, social services, family resources centers, children’s museums, or recreation centers. The program is designed to teach from birth to eight years old.
Central Michigan University
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Quick Facts
- Tuition: $12,093(in state) / $22,881(out of state)
- Total of 36-37 credit hours
- Must have a 2.5 GPA to graduate
- Internship required
School Wide
Program Level
67%OSR ScoreGet educated on the importance of the childhood years by earning your bachelor’s degree in child development at Central Michigan University. This program will prepare you for a career as a child protective services worker, early intervention, after-school director, or youth development specialist. It’s required that you take Lifespan Development.
