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Preschool & pre-K

Preschools & Pre-K in Wisconsin

Preschool and pre-K programs across Wisconsin take children from about 3 until kindergarten. Full-time preschool-age care at a center costs a median of $190 a week in the middle Wisconsin county (2022).

preschools and pre-K programs listed
4,400
towns
467
towns have their own preschools and pre-K page
232
of all Wisconsin daycares
96%

Map of Wisconsin: 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 Wisconsin

Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Wisconsin county (2022)
$190
The median of 72 county medians, from $170 in the lowest county to $259 in the highest.
Preschool tuition posted on daycare websites in Wisconsin, per week (2026)
$265
The median of 65 daycares that post a full-time rate; half post between $218 and $325. Posted rates run above the 2022 survey: they are newer, and mostly from centers.
of preschool websites mention part-time or half-day places
22%
Of the 770 websites we read for preschools in Wisconsin, 22% mention part-time places and 23% 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.

Wisconsin

Largest towns for preschools and pre-K in Wisconsin

Milwaukee1,749 preschoolsMadison188 preschoolsGreen Bay80 preschoolsKenosha79 preschoolsRacine58 preschoolsAppleton50 preschoolsEau Claire48 preschoolsLa Crosse33 preschoolsSun Prairie33 preschoolsStevens Point31 preschoolsOshkosh30 preschoolsWaukesha30 preschools

Programs

Programs in Wisconsin

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 daycares4,607
Take infants3,572
Child care centers2,385
Accept subsidy92
In-home daycares2,222
Christian & church daycares162
Montessori schools62
Preschools & pre-K4,400
Night daycare1,548
Early morning daycare3,149
Part-time daycare169
Drop-in daycare49
After-school care4,500
Bilingual daycare41
Head Start180

The Wisconsin state record

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families licenses daycares in Wisconsin.

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 Wisconsin state records

Before you enroll

Choosing a preschool or pre-K in Wisconsin

  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.

Wisconsin

Cost, inspections and ratios in Wisconsin

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

A to Z

All 467 Wisconsin towns with preschools and pre-K, A to Z

A19 towns
B39 towns
C36 towns
D14 towns
E19 towns
F18 towns
G19 towns
H20 towns
I6 towns
J7 towns
K10 towns
L21 towns
M46 towns
N18 towns
O17 towns
P32 towns
R21 towns
S44 towns
T11 towns
U2 towns
V4 towns
W44 towns

Nearby

Nearby states

Illinois8,381 preschoolsMichigan956 preschoolsMinnesota674 preschoolsIowa345 preschools

Questions

Questions about preschools and pre-K in Wisconsin

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

4,400 preschools and pre-K programs are listed in 467 Wisconsin towns. A daycare without this tag may still run a preschool room; ask.

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

Milwaukee, with 1,749 listed. Next are Madison (188) and Green Bay (80).

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 Wisconsin?

Wisconsin Department of Children and Families licenses daycares in Wisconsin. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.