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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in New York

Preschool and pre-K programs across New York take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $200 a week in the middle New York county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
4,338
towns
631
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
246
of all New York daycares
23%

Map of New York: 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 New York

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle New York county (2022)
$200
The median of 62 county medians, from $200 in the lowest county to $293 in the highest.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in New York, per week (2026)
$309
The median of 54 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $242 and $379. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
16%
Of the 1,741 websites we read for preschools in New York, 16% mention part-time places and 19% 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.

New York

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in New York

Brooklyn920 preschoolsQueens465 preschoolsNew York462 preschoolsBronx276 preschoolsStaten Island114 preschoolsRochester91 preschoolsBuffalo67 preschoolsSyracuse42 preschoolsAlbany40 preschoolsSchenectady28 preschoolsWhite Plains24 preschoolsPoughkeepsie21 preschools

Programs

Programs in New York

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 daycares18,819
Take infants2,017
Child care centers7,008
Accept subsidy229
In-home daycares11,811
Christian & church daycares284
Montessori schools223
Preschools & pre-K4,338
Early morning daycare766
Part-time daycare363
Drop-in daycare98
After-school care3,511
Bilingual daycare200
Head Start469

The New York state record

New York State Office of Children and Family Services licenses daycares in New York.

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 New York state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in New York

  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.

New York

Cost, inspections and ratios in New York

Daycare cost in New YorkWeekly prices by age and countyWhat New York inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in New YorkHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for New YorkQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 631 New York towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A22 towns
B45 towns
C65 towns
D19 towns
E31 towns
F20 towns
G26 towns
H40 towns
I8 towns
J6 towns
K8 towns
L32 towns
M57 towns
N29 towns
O19 towns
P37 towns
Q4 towns
R25 towns
S54 towns
T10 towns
U4 towns
V8 towns
W58 towns
Y4 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

New Jersey3,329 preschoolsMassachusetts2,248 preschoolsPennsylvania1,317 preschoolsConnecticut1,149 preschoolsVermont886 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in New York

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in New York?

4,338 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 631 New York towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Brooklyn, with 920 listed. Next are Queens (465) and New York (462).

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 New York?

New York State Office of Children and Family Services licenses daycares in New York. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.