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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Tennessee

Preschool and pre-K programs across Tennessee take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $110 a week in the middle Tennessee county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
2,962
towns
373
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
172
of all Tennessee daycares
75%

Map of Tennessee: 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 Tennessee

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Tennessee county (2022)
$110
The median of 95 county medians, from $97 in the lowest county to $146 in the highest.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Tennessee, per week (2026)
$220
The median of 55 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $200 and $267. 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 751 websites we read for preschools in Tennessee, 16% mention part-time places and 16% 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.

Tennessee

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Tennessee

Memphis423 preschoolsNashville208 preschoolsKnoxville174 preschoolsChattanooga134 preschoolsClarksville91 preschoolsMurfreesboro70 preschoolsFranklin49 preschoolsJackson46 preschoolsJohnson City43 preschoolsCleveland39 preschoolsLebanon33 preschoolsCookeville32 preschools

Programs

Programs in Tennessee

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 daycares3,955
Take infants1,470
Child care centers3,527
Accept subsidy2,184
In-home daycares428
Christian & church daycares443
Montessori schools68
Preschools & pre-K2,962
Night daycare175
Early morning daycare1,405
Part-time daycare128
Drop-in daycare21
After-school care1,743
Bilingual daycare19
Head Start316

The Tennessee state record

Tennessee Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing licenses daycares in Tennessee.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Tennessee state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Tennessee

  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.

Tennessee

Cost, inspections and ratios in Tennessee

Daycare cost in TennesseeWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in TennesseeHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 373 Tennessee towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A18 towns
B22 towns
C46 towns
D17 towns
E12 towns
F8 towns
G20 towns
H22 towns
I2 towns
J9 towns
K6 towns
L27 towns
M35 towns
N9 towns
O9 towns
P20 towns
R22 towns
S31 towns
T13 towns
U3 towns
V2 towns
W19 towns
Y1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

North Carolina5,228 preschoolsGeorgia4,702 preschoolsVirginia4,133 preschoolsMissouri2,217 preschoolsAlabama2,148 preschoolsKentucky1,682 preschoolsArkansas1,478 preschoolsMississippi137 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Tennessee

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

2,962 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 373 Tennessee towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Memphis, with 423 listed. Next are Nashville (208) and Knoxville (174).

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 Tennessee?

Tennessee Department of Human Services, Child Care Licensing licenses daycares in Tennessee. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.