2026 Best Child development Schools in Missouri
Child development programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their child development programs.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best child development schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Child development in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall child development education in Missouri.
Top Schools in Child development
University Of Missouri Columbia is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in child development. University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. About 75% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 31 child development students who graduated with this degree at University Of Missouri Columbia in the most recent data year. Child Development graduates of University Of Missouri Columbia earn a median of $40,221 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000.
See the full child development program report for University Of Missouri Columbia
Saint Louis Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in child development, ranking #2. Located in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public university. About 22 child development degrees were awarded at Saint Louis Community College in the most recent year. Child Development graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $26,593 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $11,424 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in child development from Saint Louis Community College
Missouri State University Springfield came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best child development schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Springfield. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. Missouri State University Springfield awarded about 35 child development degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the child development program make about $32,769 in their early career. Missouri State University Springfield graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans.
Get the full child development details for Missouri State University Springfield
A rank of #4 makes University Of Central Missouri one of the top schools for child development. Set in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public institution. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Central Missouri awarded about 22 child development degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, child development degree recipients from University Of Central Missouri generally make around $36,267. Students borrow a median of $24,500 to complete this degree.
See the full child development program report for University Of Central Missouri
More Child development Rankings
View All Child development Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
