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2024 Best Child Development Schools in California

8 Colleges in California
527 Child Development Degrees Awarded
If you plan on majoring in child development, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #239 in the country in terms of popularity. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

College Factual looked at 8 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Child Development Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 527 degrees in child development during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Child Development School

Best Child Development Schools in California Your choice of child development school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Child Development School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Child Development Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Child Development
Bachelor's Degrees in Child Development
Master's Degrees in Child Development

The child development school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Child Development Schools in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Child Development in California

The schools below may not offer all types of child development degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

Top California Schools in Child Development

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA
61 Child Development Degrees Awarded

University of La Verne is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in child development. Located in the large suburb of La Verne, ULV is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 94th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 61 child development students who graduated with this degree at ULV in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in child development from University of La Verne

2

Cabrillo College is a good choice for students interested in a degree in child development. Cabrillo College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Aptos. This college ranks 118th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.More information about a degree in child development from Cabrillo College

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
83 Child Development Degrees Awarded

Point Loma Nazarene University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in child development. PLNU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #401 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means PLNU is a great university overall.

There were about 83 child development students who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in child development from Point Loma Nazarene University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CA
37 Child Development Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat California State University - San Bernardino if you want to pursue a degree in child development. Located in the city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 99th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 37 child development students who graduated with this degree at CSUSB in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in child development from California State University - San Bernardino

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
167 Child Development Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Fresno, Fresno Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #360 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Fresno Pacific is a great university overall.

There were about 167 child development students who graduated with this degree at Fresno Pacific in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in child development from Fresno Pacific University

6
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
107 Child Development Degrees Awarded

UAGC is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #305 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UAGC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 107 child development students who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in child development from The University of Arizona Global Campus

7

Fresno State is a very large public university located in the large city of Fresno. This university ranks 74th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.More information about a degree in child development from California State University - Fresno

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In CA

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, MSMU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #317 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means MSMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 child development students who graduated with this degree at MSMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in child development from Mount Saint Mary’s University

Best Child Development Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Child Development Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 831 63
Oregon 587 25
Alaska 167 20

View All Rankings >

One of 10 majors within the Human Development & Family Studies area of study, Child Development has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Child Care Provider/Assistant 11,462
General Human Development & Family Studies 1,561
Child Care & Support Services Management 327
Adult Development & Aging 71
Family & Community Services 41

View All Child Development Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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