Early Childhood Education Programs Near Grand Junction, Colorado

Quick answer: 3 colleges within 100 miles of Grand Junction, Colorado award an early childhood education degree, the nearest about 1 mile away (IPEDS Completions, 2024).

Compare early childhood education programs you can start from Grand Junction:

Early Childhood Education Program Access Near Grand Junction, Colorado

Distance from Grand JunctionColleges awarding this degree
Within 25 miles1
Within 50 miles1
Within 100 miles3
Within 250 miles23

Source: IPEDS Completions, 2024, counting institutions that reported awarding this degree, joined to IPEDS institution coordinates. Distances are straight-line.

Access around Grand Junction is thinner than in the larger Colorado metros. The nearest college awarding this degree is roughly 1 mile away and 3 sit within 100 miles, which is the case where an online or low-residency program earns its keep.

Choosing An Early Childhood Education Program From Grand Junction

The subject matter does not change by location: child development from birth through age eight, early literacy, play-based curriculum design, observation and assessment, and supervised classroom hours. What changes is how you take it. Ask each college whether the program holds accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), how much of the coursework is delivered online, and which components require you on campus. Credit transfer is decided by the receiving institution and genuinely varies, so request a written transfer evaluation before you enroll.

Colleges Near Grand Junction

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 10 schools within 196 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 187.6 miles away BOC Score 64.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 34.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 74
  • Annual completions: 2794
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $62,695 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 196.4 miles away BOC Score 61.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 69
  • Annual completions: 4371
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,353 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Colorado Northwestern Community College

Rangely, CO 69.6 miles away BOC Score 59.4
Tuition $4,594 - $20,923
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 33.5%
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 123
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $61,341 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 193.0 miles away BOC Score 57.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47
  • Annual completions: 1819
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,589 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, CO 0.9 miles away BOC Score 56.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 64
  • Annual completions: 2018
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $58,601 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Colorado Mountain College

Glenwood Springs, CO 73.6 miles away BOC Score 52.3
Tuition $2,616 - $14,799
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 26.6%
  • Programs offered: 34
  • Annual completions: 1653
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,406 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO 195.5 miles away BOC Score 43.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 30.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 20
  • Annual completions: 719
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,186 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Fort Lewis College

Durango, CO 130.9 miles away BOC Score 40.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 39.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 3
  • Annual completions: 28
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,601 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 195.6 miles away BOC Score 37.0
Tuition $4,902 - $19,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 18.0%
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 887
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,984 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 190.4 miles away BOC Score 36.5
Tuition $41,342 - $54,242
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 60.0%
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 382
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $58,576 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

What Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Earn in Colorado

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in Colorado earn a median $62,870 per year against $62,680 nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The Colorado median for kindergarten teachers, except special education is $62,870 per year, above the national median of $62,680, on state employment of 3,260 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

These are statewide figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish wages at city level, so no page can tell you what this job pays in Grand Junction specifically. For the metro-level picture where it is published, and the full percentile spread, see the Colorado page.

Other Colorado Cities

Montrose * Cañon City

Sources

  • U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions, 2024 - institutions awarding this degree, with IPEDS institution coordinates
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2012)

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.