by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Child Care & Support Services Management involves the study of Child Care And Support Services Management. A Program That Focuses On The Provision And Management Of Child Care Services And That Prepares Individuals To Plan, Design, And Manage Child Care Facilities And Programs That Meet Children's Developmental Needs And Interests And That Provide Safe And Healthy Environments. Includes Instruction In Child Development And Psychology; Home- And Institution-Based Child Care; Identification Of Diseases, Injuries, And Psychological Trauma And Applicable Referrals; Parent Relations; Personnel And Business Management Principles; And Related Laws And Policies. Read on to learn the important information every child care & support services management student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering child care & support services management programs.
Nationwide, child care & support services management draws strong interest, with 3,901 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Child Care & Support Services Management Schools ranking analyzes these 228 schools to determine the best overall colleges for child care & support services management students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of child care & support services management programs later in this article.
Studies in Child Care & Support Services Management develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations child care & support services management graduates commonly enter.
The skill set emphasized by a child care & support services management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a child care & support services management major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several child care & support services management degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 497 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 1,438 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 117 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,500 |
People currently working in careers related to child care & support services management tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 26.9% |
| Master’s degree | 25.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 12.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 9.6% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 7.9% |
| Some college courses | 5.9% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 5.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.4% |
| First professional degree | 0.2% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in child care & support services management careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying child care & support services management opens doors to many career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to child care & support services management.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to child care & support services management.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,267,153 | 0.4% |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,058,186 | 6.4% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of child care & support services management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $33,243 |
| 4 years | $38,875 |
| 5 years | $44,531 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for child care & support services management graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers child care & support services management grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $99,604 |
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,776 |
With 228 different child care & support services management programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased child care & support services management school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in child care & support services management, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Child Care Provider/Assistant | 22,533 |
| Human Development and Family Studies, General | 8,444 |
| Child Development | 4,599 |
| Family and Community Services | 1,267 |
| Family Systems | 765 |
| Early Childhood and Family Studies | 439 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services, Other | 429 |
| Adult Development and Aging | 238 |
| Parent Education Services | 126 |
| Developmental Services Worker | 59 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
