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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Missouri

Preschools and pre-K programs in Missouri, town by town. Pick a town below, or search by town or ZIP.

preschools and pre-K programs listed
2,217
towns
370
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
167
of all Missouri daycares
85%

Map of Missouri: 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 Missouri

Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Missouri, per week (2026)
$185
The median of 57 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $148 and $245. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
22%
Of the 621 websites we read for preschools in Missouri, 22% mention part-time places and 20% mention full-time care. Ask which days and hours a place covers.

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

Missouri

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Missouri

St Louis356 preschoolsKansas City157 preschoolsColumbia84 preschoolsSpringfield72 preschoolsFlorissant37 preschoolsJefferson City35 preschoolsLees Summit33 preschoolsSt Charles32 preschoolsSt Peters31 preschoolsO Fallon30 preschoolsSt Joseph29 preschoolsJoplin27 preschools

Programs

Programs in Missouri

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 daycares2,614
Take infants1,708
Child care centers2,046
Accept subsidy69
In-home daycares568
Christian & church daycares228
Montessori schools36
Preschools & pre-K2,217
24-hour daycare69
Night daycare1,980
Early morning daycare2,184
Part-time daycare135
Drop-in daycare17
After-school care2,194
Bilingual daycare11
Head Start207

The Missouri state record

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood licenses daycares in Missouri.

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 2023
Cited rules
Each cited rule, in the state's own wording
Search the Missouri state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Missouri

  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.

Missouri

Cost, inspections and ratios in Missouri

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

A to Z

All 370 Missouri towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A13 towns
B34 towns
C36 towns
D12 towns
E15 towns
F14 towns
G16 towns
H25 towns
I4 towns
J7 towns
K11 towns
L26 towns
M31 towns
N11 towns
O11 towns
P22 towns
R10 towns
S35 towns
T7 towns
U4 towns
V4 towns
W21 towns
Z1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Illinois8,381 preschoolsTennessee2,962 preschoolsOklahoma2,489 preschoolsNebraska2,421 preschoolsKentucky1,682 preschoolsArkansas1,478 preschoolsIowa345 preschoolsKansas295 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Missouri

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

2,217 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 370 Missouri towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

St Louis, with 356 listed. Next are Kansas City (157) and Columbia (84).

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 Missouri?

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood licenses daycares in Missouri. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.