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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Virginia

Preschool and pre-K programs across Virginia take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $141 a week in the middle Virginia county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
4,133
towns
377
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
172
of all Virginia daycares
83%

Map of Virginia: 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 Virginia

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Virginia county (2022)
$141
The median of 133 county medians, from $90 in the lowest county to $496 in the highest.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Virginia, per week (2026)
$197
The median of 122 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $126 and $252. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
24%
Of the 1,418 websites we read for preschools in Virginia, 24% mention part-time places and 21% 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.

Virginia

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Virginia

Alexandria285 preschoolsRichmond187 preschoolsVirginia Beach168 preschoolsChesapeake121 preschoolsNorfolk115 preschoolsArlington105 preschoolsFairfax100 preschoolsWoodbridge92 preschoolsFalls Church89 preschoolsSpringfield86 preschoolsRoanoke82 preschoolsAshburn78 preschools

Programs

Programs in Virginia

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 daycares4,997
Take infants2,378
Child care centers3,469
Accept subsidy2,729
In-home daycares1,528
Christian & church daycares907
Montessori schools265
Preschools & pre-K4,133
24-hour daycare73
Night daycare348
Early morning daycare1,816
Weekend daycare78
Part-time daycare342
Drop-in daycare64
After-school care3,939
Bilingual daycare93
Head Start166

The Virginia state record

Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety licenses daycares in Virginia.

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 2012
Cited rules
The inspector's finding, in the state's own words
Search the Virginia state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Virginia

  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.

Virginia

Cost, inspections and ratios in Virginia

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

A to Z

All 377 Virginia towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A21 towns
B33 towns
C40 towns
D16 towns
E6 towns
F22 towns
G16 towns
H25 towns
I4 towns
J1 town
K6 towns
L17 towns
M31 towns
N17 towns
O6 towns
P21 towns
Q1 town
R20 towns
S33 towns
T7 towns
U3 towns
V6 towns
W24 towns
Y1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Maryland6,083 preschoolsNorth Carolina5,228 preschoolsTennessee2,962 preschoolsKentucky1,682 preschoolsDistrict of Columbia347 preschoolsWest Virginia57 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Virginia

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

4,133 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 377 Virginia towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Alexandria, with 285 listed. Next are Richmond (187) and Virginia Beach (168).

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 Virginia?

Virginia Department of Education, Office of Child Care Health and Safety licenses daycares in Virginia. It publishes its inspections and the rules it cited, and we copy them onto each listing.