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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Indiana

Many preschools in Indiana take part in On My Way Pre-K, for children who are 4 by August 1 and start kindergarten the next year.

preschools and pre-K programs listed
2,461
towns
211
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
129
of all Indiana daycares
83%

Map of Indiana: 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

Pre-K and preschool costs in Indiana

preschools here take part in On My Way Pre-K
700
By the Indiana license record. It is for children who are 4 by August 1 and start kindergarten the next year.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Indiana, per week (2026)
$195
The median of 43 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $151 and $248. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
21%
Of the 519 websites we read for preschools in Indiana, 21% mention part-time places and 24% mention full-time care. Ask which days and hours a place covers.
On My Way Pre-K: the official page

Posted rates: tuition that daycares publish on their own websites, 2026, full-time rates only, one rate per daycare.

Indiana

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Indiana

Indianapolis513 preschoolsFort Wayne153 preschoolsSouth Bend143 preschoolsEvansville103 preschoolsTerre Haute90 preschoolsGary84 preschoolsHammond56 preschoolsLafayette52 preschoolsMichigan City42 preschoolsBloomington41 preschoolsFishers41 preschoolsNew Albany41 preschools

Programs

Programs in Indiana

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 daycares2,967
Take infants1,952
Child care centers1,502
Accept subsidy2,591
In-home daycares1,465
Christian & church daycares268
Montessori schools26
Preschools & pre-K2,461
24-hour daycare287
Night daycare510
Early morning daycare1,724
Weekend daycare229
Part-time daycare119
Drop-in daycare14
After-school care2,024
Bilingual daycare11
Head Start163

The Indiana state record

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning licenses daycares in Indiana.

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
The inspector's finding, in the state's own words
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the Indiana state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Indiana

  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.

Indiana

Cost, inspections and ratios in Indiana

Daycare cost in IndianaWeekly prices by age and countyWhat Indiana inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in IndianaHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for IndianaQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 211 Indiana towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A7 towns
B14 towns
C21 towns
D6 towns
E4 towns
F10 towns
G14 towns
H10 towns
I1 town
J2 towns
K4 towns
L18 towns
M21 towns
N15 towns
O5 towns
P10 towns
R10 towns
S14 towns
T4 towns
U1 town
V3 towns
W15 towns
Y1 town
Z1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Illinois8,381 preschoolsKentucky1,682 preschoolsMichigan956 preschoolsOhio922 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Indiana

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

2,461 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 211 Indiana towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Indianapolis, with 513 listed. Next are Fort Wayne (153) and South Bend (143).

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.

How does state pre-K work in Indiana?

Indiana runs On My Way Pre-K, for children who are 4 by August 1 and start kindergarten the next year. Complete the online application, upload or provide documents, and an eligibility specialist reviews it and contacts the family; local Eligibility Offices help.

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 Indiana?

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning licenses daycares in Indiana. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.