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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in South Carolina

Preschool and pre-K programs across South Carolina take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $127 a week in the middle South Carolina county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
338
towns
80
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
32
of all South Carolina daycares
15%

Map of South Carolina: 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 South Carolina

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle South Carolina county (2022)
$127
The median of 46 county medians, from $98 in the lowest county to $184 in the highest.

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

South Carolina

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in South Carolina

Columbia35 preschoolsGreenville19 preschoolsCharleston17 preschoolsFort Mill15 preschoolsMount Pleasant15 preschoolsSimpsonville14 preschoolsMyrtle Beach12 preschoolsSummerville12 preschoolsRock Hill11 preschoolsAiken10 preschoolsFlorence10 preschoolsGreer10 preschools

Programs

Programs in South Carolina

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 daycares2,292
Take infants311
Child care centers1,604
Accept subsidy31
In-home daycares688
Christian & church daycares293
Montessori schools68
Preschools & pre-K338
Early morning daycare361
Part-time daycare103
Drop-in daycare38
Bilingual daycare20
Head Start179

The South Carolina state record

South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education licenses daycares in South Carolina.

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 2023
Cited rules
Each cited rule, in the state's own wording
Corrections
Correction dates as the state records them
Search the South Carolina state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in South Carolina

  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.

South Carolina

Cost, inspections and ratios in South Carolina

Daycare cost in South CarolinaWeekly prices by age and countyWhat South Carolina inspectors citeThe rules cited most, and what they meanStaff-to-child ratios in South CarolinaHow many children each adult may care forTour checklist for South CarolinaQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 80 South Carolina towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A2 towns
B7 towns
C11 towns
D4 towns
E3 towns
F2 towns
G5 towns
H5 towns
I1 town
J1 town
L6 towns
M7 towns
N4 towns
P4 towns
R2 towns
S7 towns
T2 towns
U1 town
W6 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

North Carolina5,228 preschoolsGeorgia4,702 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in South Carolina

How many preschools and pre-K programs are in South Carolina?

338 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 80 South Carolina towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Columbia, with 35 listed. Next are Greenville (19) and Charleston (17).

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 South Carolina?

South Carolina Department of Social Services, Division of Early Care and Education licenses daycares in South Carolina. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.