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2025 Best Child Development Schools in California

5 Colleges in California
581 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 5 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Child Development Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 581 degrees in child development to qualified students.

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

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
68 Child Development Degrees Awarded

University of La Verne is one of the finest schools in the country 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 medium-sized student population. This university ranks 78th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 68 child development students who graduated with this degree at ULV in the most recent year we have data available.

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

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
98 Child Development Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in child development needs to take a look at Fresno Pacific University. Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno Pacific is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 96th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 98 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

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

Point Loma Nazarene University is one of the best schools in the United States 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 #420 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means PLNU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 95 child development students who graduated with this degree at PLNU in the most recent year we have data available.

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

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
85 Child Development Degrees Awarded

The University of Arizona Global Campus is a good option for students pursuing a degree in child development. UAGC is a very large private for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #393 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UAGC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 85 child development students who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent year we have data available.

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

5
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In CA
20.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Whittier, Whittier is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 127th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 24 child development students who graduated with this degree at Whittier in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in child development from Whittier College

Best Child Development Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Child Development Schools 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 12,222
General Human Development & Family Studies 1,462
Child Care & Support Services Management 280
Adult Development & Aging 94
Family & Community Services 38
Family Systems 1

View All Child Development Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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