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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in California

Preschool and pre-K programs across California take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $190 a week in the middle California county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
3,768
towns
660
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
327
of all California daycares
15%

Map of California: each dot is a town with preschools and pre-K programs, sized by how many are listed

Preschool & pre-K
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record lists preschool-age children among the ages it serves or names a state pre-K program, or it says it offers pre-K, or its name says preschool, pre-K or nursery school. Public school pre-K classes are often not on child care license lists; check with your school district too.A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Preschool and pre-K

What preschool costs in California

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle California county (2022)
$190
The median of 58 county medians, from $145 in the lowest county to $477 in the highest.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in California, per week (2026)
$297
The median of 157 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $208 and $398. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
25%
Of the 1,571 websites we read for preschools in California, 25% mention part-time places and 24% mention full-time care. Ask which days and hours a place covers.

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

California

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in California

Los Angeles152 preschoolsSan Francisco135 preschoolsSan Diego130 preschoolsSacramento86 preschoolsSan Jose86 preschoolsBakersfield45 preschoolsOakland44 preschoolsFresno38 preschoolsStockton36 preschoolsLong Beach33 preschoolsSan Bernardino33 preschoolsFremont29 preschools

Programs

Programs in California

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 daycares25,828
Take infants2,521
Child care centers10,951
Accept subsidy462
In-home daycares14,877
Christian & church daycares959
Montessori schools1,064
Preschools & pre-K3,768
Early morning daycare1,135
Part-time daycare816
Drop-in daycare202
After-school care1,529
Bilingual daycare512
Head Start1,403

The California state record

California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division licenses daycares in California.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
Every visit the state publishes back to 2021
Cited rules
Citation counts as the state reports them
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the California state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in California

  1. 1

    Ask about the day

    Ask how the day runs: free play, circle time, outdoor time and naps. Ask what children do to get ready for kindergarten.

  2. 2

    Half day or full day

    Many preschools run half days or school-year hours. If you work full time, ask about before- and after-care.

  3. 3

    Ask about cost

    Ask for the tuition, the registration fee and whether the state's pre-K or child care assistance can pay part of it.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license, the ages it serves and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

California

Cost, inspections and ratios in California

Daycare cost in CaliforniaWeekly prices by age and countyWhat California inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in CaliforniaHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 660 California towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A34 towns
B39 towns
C69 towns
D23 towns
E21 towns
F20 towns
G17 towns
H19 towns
I10 towns
J2 towns
K7 towns
L64 towns
M40 towns
N20 towns
O16 towns
P45 towns
Q2 towns
R40 towns
S93 towns
T22 towns
U3 towns
V15 towns
W34 towns
Y5 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Arizona808 preschoolsOregon700 preschoolsNevada165 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in California

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in California?

3,768 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 660 California towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

Which California town has the most preschools and pre-K programs?

Los Angeles, with 152 listed. Next are San Francisco (135) and San Diego (130).

What is the difference between preschool and pre-K?

Pre-K is the year before kindergarten, usually for 4-year-olds, and many states fund free or low-cost pre-K. Preschool is the wider term for programs for children of about 3 to 5. Many daycares run both, and this list has both.

Is there free preschool near me?

Head Start is free for children 3 to 5 from families who qualify, and many school districts run free pre-K classes. School-district pre-K is often not on child care license lists, so check with your school district too.

What age is pre-K?

Pre-K is usually for children who turn 4 by a cutoff date in late summer or early fall, the year before kindergarten. Each state sets its own cutoff.

What is the difference between preschool and daycare?

A preschool teaches children of about 3 to 5 before kindergarten, often for part of the day. A daycare looks after children while parents work, often all day, and many daycares run a preschool room. This list has both: places whose state record serves preschool-age children, that offer pre-K on their own website, or that are named a preschool.

Who licenses daycares in California?

California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division licenses daycares in California. It publishes its inspections with the citation counts, and we copy them onto each listing.