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Montessori

Montessori Schools in Illinois

A Montessori school teaches in mixed-age rooms where children choose their own work; the name is not protected, so ask how closely each school follows the method. Montessori programs that post tuition across the US charge a median of $280 a week for full-time preschool (2026).

Montessori schools listed
182
towns
86
towns have their own Montessori schools page
10
of all Illinois daycares
2%

Map of Illinois: each dot is a town with Montessori schools, sized by how many are listed

Montessori
What puts a daycare on this listIts name or it describes a Montessori program.The word Montessori is not protected, so any school may use it; ask whether lead teachers hold a Montessori credential.

Montessori

What Montessori school costs in Illinois

Montessori preschool tuition posted on daycare websites across the US, per week (2026)
$280
The median of 247 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $206 and $361. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Illinois county (2022)
$172
The median of 63 county medians, from $92 in the lowest county to $316 in the highest.

Posted rates: tuition that daycares publish on their own websites, 2026, full-time rates only, one rate per daycare. County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Illinois

Largest towns for Montessori schools in Illinois

Chicago43 schoolsAurora10 schoolsSkokie8 schoolsNaperville6 schoolsPeoria5 schoolsNorthbrook4 schoolsOak Park4 schoolsHighland Park3 schoolsRiver Forest3 schoolsWilmette3 schoolsBarrington2 schoolsBloomington2 schools

Programs

Programs in Illinois

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares8,493
Take infants7,433
Child care centers2,842
Accept subsidy188
In-home daycares5,651
Christian & church daycares203
Montessori schools182
Preschools & pre-K8,381
Early morning daycare1,142
Part-time daycare356
Drop-in daycare35
After-school care8,304
Bilingual daycare108
Head Start390

The Illinois state record

Illinois Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Illinois.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Illinois state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a Montessori school in Illinois

  1. 1

    Ask about credentials

    Ask whether lead teachers hold a Montessori credential, such as AMI or AMS training, and from which training center.

  2. 2

    Watch a work period

    A Montessori room has a long, quiet work period with children choosing materials. Ask to observe one.

  3. 3

    Check the license

    Listings show the state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record. Where no license record is matched yet, the listing says so.

  4. 4

    Ask about cost and hours

    Many Montessori programs run half days. Ask about full-day and extended-day options and fees.

Illinois

Cost, inspections and ratios in Illinois

Daycare cost in IllinoisWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in IllinoisHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 86 Illinois towns with Montessori schools, A to Z

A3 towns
B9 towns
C4 towns
D5 towns
E4 towns
F2 towns
G4 towns
H4 towns
L10 towns
M7 towns
N7 towns
O3 towns
P3 towns
R3 towns
S6 towns
T1 town
V2 towns
W8 towns
Y1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Wisconsin62 schoolsKentucky56 schoolsMissouri36 schoolsIowa33 schoolsIndiana26 schools

Questions

Questions about Montessori schools in Illinois

How many Montessori schools are in Illinois?

182 Montessori schools are listed in 86 Illinois towns. The word Montessori is not protected, so any school may use it; ask whether lead teachers hold a Montessori credential.

Which Illinois town has the most Montessori schools?

Chicago, with 43 listed. Next are Aurora (10) and Skokie (8).

What is the difference between Montessori and daycare?

A Montessori school follows Maria Montessori's method: mixed-age rooms, hands-on materials and long blocks of time where children choose their work. A daycare may follow any approach. Many Montessori schools are licensed as child care, and some run full days for working parents.

How much does Montessori preschool cost?

Montessori programs that post their tuition charge a median of $280 a week for full-time preschool across the US (247 programs, 2026). Half-day programs cost less; ask each school.

Who licenses daycares in Illinois?

Illinois Department of Early Childhood licenses daycares in Illinois. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.