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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Pennsylvania

Many preschools in Pennsylvania take part in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, for children from age 3 until they start kindergarten. It is free to eligible families.

preschools and pre-K programs listed
1,317
towns
399
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
124
of all Pennsylvania daycares
20%

Map of Pennsylvania: 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 Pennsylvania

preschools here take part in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts
520
By the Pennsylvania license record. It is for children from age 3 until they start kindergarten. It is free to eligible families.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Pennsylvania, per week (2026)
$285
The median of 47 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $255 and $356. 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 971 websites we read for preschools in Pennsylvania, 21% mention part-time places and 23% mention full-time care. Ask which days and hours a place covers.
Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts: the official page

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

Pennsylvania

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia246 preschoolsPittsburgh57 preschoolsErie24 preschoolsReading24 preschoolsAllentown23 preschoolsLancaster22 preschoolsHarrisburg18 preschoolsBethlehem15 preschoolsEaston12 preschoolsState College12 preschoolsYork11 preschoolsCamp Hill10 preschools

Programs

Programs in Pennsylvania

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 daycares6,471
Take infants898
Child care centers4,955
Accept subsidy5,759
In-home daycares1,516
Christian & church daycares320
Montessori schools131
Preschools & pre-K1,317
24-hour daycare10
Night daycare294
Early morning daycare2,348
Weekend daycare237
Part-time daycare351
Drop-in daycare63
After-school care3,376
Bilingual daycare45
Head Start174

The Pennsylvania state record

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning licenses daycares in Pennsylvania.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
On some licenses only; elsewhere shown where the daycare gives them
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 Pennsylvania state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Pennsylvania

  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.

Pennsylvania

Cost, inspections and ratios in Pennsylvania

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

A to Z

All 399 Pennsylvania towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A18 towns
B39 towns
C42 towns
D13 towns
E18 towns
F13 towns
G8 towns
H25 towns
I2 towns
J7 towns
K9 towns
L18 towns
M39 towns
N18 towns
O6 towns
P19 towns
Q2 towns
R6 towns
S41 towns
T12 towns
U4 towns
V3 towns
W32 towns
Y5 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Maryland6,083 preschoolsNew York4,338 preschoolsNew Jersey3,329 preschoolsDelaware1,065 preschoolsOhio922 preschoolsWest Virginia57 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Pennsylvania

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

1,317 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 399 Pennsylvania towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Philadelphia, with 246 listed. Next are Pittsburgh (57) and Erie (24).

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 pre-K in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania runs Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, for children from age 3 until they start kindergarten. It is free to eligible families. Contact the Pre-K Counts program directly for enrollment information; find programs through the COMPASS 'Find Early Learning Programs and Child Care Providers' search.

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 Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development and Early Learning licenses daycares in Pennsylvania. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.