Houston Community College’s Child Development program has been named the best in the nation among two-year colleges by EduMed.org, an online resource for students seeking higher affordable and flexible education programs.

The EduMed team’s first-place ranking is based on research from government data provided by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. EduMed data scientists assigned weights and ranked schools based on a mix of affordability, support services and online program-availability metrics.

“Houston Community College offers two pathways for aspiring professionals in child development: A hybrid associate of applied science and an online certificate in child development administration,” EduMed researchers wrote. “Both programs build key knowledge foundations in the care and guidance of young children, and courses completed for the certificate can be applied to the associate program for those who wish to continue their training.”

EdMed noted that courses come in flexible online formats, although the degree program requires some in-person components. The curriculum is comprehensive for both programs, covering topics like creative arts for early childhood, child guidance, introduction to sociology and program administration.

HCC administrators believe the EduMed.org ranking proves HCC Child Development faculty’s work is paying off.

“Those of us in the child development program believe we are developing experts in the field of child development, and we do not take this mission lightly,” says Saran Winters, M.Ed., chair of HCC’s education department. “We believe our program is successful because, as a team, we take the experiences we all once had as students and craft them into making our students successful within their HCC child development pathways.”

The Child Development program is part of HCC’s Education Professions Center of Excellence. To learn more: https://www.hccs.edu/programs/areas-of-study/liberal-arts--humanities/child-development.

To learn more about the EdMed rankings: https://www.edumed.org/online-schools/child-development-degrees/#2-year-schools