Early Childhood Education Programs Near Owatonna, Minnesota

Quick answer: 18 colleges within 100 miles of Owatonna, Minnesota award an early childhood education degree, the nearest about 40 miles away (IPEDS Completions, 2024).

Compare early childhood education programs you can start from Owatonna:

Early Childhood Education Program Access Near Owatonna, Minnesota

Distance from OwatonnaColleges awarding this degree
Within 25 miles0
Within 50 miles3
Within 100 miles18
Within 250 miles59

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

Access around Owatonna is thinner than in the larger Minnesota metros. The nearest college awarding this degree is roughly 40 miles away and 18 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 Owatonna

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 Owatonna

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

This page lists 10 schools within 65 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

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 60.9 miles away BOC Score 83.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 85.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 916
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $71,941 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Dakota County Technical College

Rosemount, MN 45.2 miles away BOC Score 72.2
Tuition $6,679 - $18,552
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 51.8%
  • Programs offered: 52
  • Annual completions: 1190
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,518 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN 60.3 miles away BOC Score 60.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 41.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 574
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $67,658 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

South Central College

North Mankato, MN 40.9 miles away BOC Score 60.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 56
  • Annual completions: 515
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,003 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Concordia University-Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN 59.4 miles away BOC Score 58.8
Tuition $25,600 - $37,239
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 78.9%
  • Graduation rate: 52.3%
  • Programs offered: 16
  • Annual completions: 630
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $68,250 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

University of Northwestern-St Paul

Saint Paul, MN 65.2 miles away BOC Score 56.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 8
  • Annual completions: 50
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,471 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Rochester Community and Technical College

Rochester, MN 40.5 miles away BOC Score 50.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 27.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 653
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,258 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Saint Paul College

Saint Paul, MN 59.6 miles away BOC Score 48.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 71
  • Annual completions: 1406
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,870 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Minneapolis Community and Technical College

Minneapolis, MN 60.9 miles away BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 18.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 1275
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,691 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN 61.5 miles away BOC Score 19.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • 100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 1210 Minneapolis, MN 55401
  • (866) 492-5336
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 1731
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $83,334 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

What Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Earn in Minnesota

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in Minnesota earn a median $75,500 per year against $62,680 nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The Minnesota median for kindergarten teachers, except special education is $75,500 per year, above the national median of $62,680, on state employment of 2,840 (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 Owatonna specifically. For the metro-level picture where it is published, and the full percentile spread, see the Minnesota page.

Other Minnesota Cities

Faribault * Northfield * Austin * Mankato * Rochester * South Saint Paul * Saint Paul * Saint Louis Park

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/.