Nearly 1.8 million children attended state-funded preschool in 2024-25, a record, yet that is still only 37% of America’s 4-year-olds and 9% of its 3-year-olds, and enrollment grew by just 44,000 children after a 111,243-child jump the year before (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 and 2024 Yearbooks). Access depends almost entirely on the state: the District of Columbia enrolls 94% of 4-year-olds, Missouri 22%, and six states fund no qualifying program at all. States spent nearly 14.4 billion dollars, but 46% of enrolled children sit in programs meeting half or fewer of NIEER’s 10 quality benchmarks. Meanwhile, federal Head Start enrollment at ages 3 and 4 is still below pre-pandemic levels, and the national average price of child care reached 13,184 dollars in 2025. We aggregated data from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), the National Center for Education Statistics, the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the HHS Office of Head Start, the Congressional Research Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Child Care Aware of America, the UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, and peer-reviewed and NBER research, alongside our broader special education statistics.
TL;DR
- Nearly 1.8 million children attended state-funded preschool in 2024-25 (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- 37% of 4-year-olds and 9% of 3-year-olds are enrolled in state pre-K (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- Enrollment rose by only 44,000 children in 2024-25, versus 111,243 the prior year (NIEER, 2025 and 2024 Yearbooks).
- 20 states still enroll fewer preschoolers than before the pandemic (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- DC enrolls 94% of 4-year-olds; six states have no qualifying program (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- State pre-K spending hit nearly 14.4 billion dollars, or 8,124 dollars per child (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- Only six states met all 10 NIEER quality benchmarks, a record high (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025).
- 48.8% of 3- and 4-year-olds were enrolled in any school in 2023, versus 85.4% of 5-year-olds (NCES, Digest Table 202.20).
- 58.5% of 3- and 4-year-olds with a college-educated parent are enrolled, versus 33.1% when no parent finished high school (NCES, Digest Table 202.20).
- Head Start funded enrollment was 715,873 in FY2024 on a 12.27 billion dollar appropriation (HHS Office of Head Start, Program Facts FY2024).
- Boston’s public preschool raised on-time college enrollment by 8 percentage points (NBER Working Paper 28756, 2021).
- The national average price of child care was 13,184 dollars in 2025 (Child Care Aware of America, Price and Supply 2025).
- Median preschool teacher pay was 38,140 dollars in May 2025, about 61% of a kindergarten teacher’s (BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook).
1. National Enrollment: A Record That Has Stalled
The 2024-25 count is a record, but the headline hides a sharp slowdown. State-funded preschool added just 44,000 children in 2024-25, down from 111,243 the year before, and California’s Transitional Kindergarten expansion alone added more than 25,000 of them (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 executive summary). Strip California out and the rest of the country added fewer than 19,000 children (44,000 minus more than 25,000): 25 states increased enrollment while 20 decreased.
The 4-year-old share has been flat at 37% for two straight yearbooks (NIEER, State of Preschool 2024 executive summary), up from 34% in 2019 as cited in the Boston preschool study (NBER, 2021). Growth now comes from 3-year-olds, and even there it is slow: just 8,000 more children in 2024-25. The question is no longer whether states fund pre-K, it is whether they will push past one-third coverage.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Children in state-funded preschool, 2024-25 | Nearly 1.8 million | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| 4-year-olds enrolled, 2024-25 | 1.42 million (37% of 4-year-olds) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| 3-year-olds enrolled, 2024-25 | 315,293 (9% of 3-year-olds) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Enrollment growth, 2024-25 | +44,000 children (3-year-olds +8,000) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Enrollment, 2023-24 | 1,751,109 (+111,243, or 7%) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2024 |
| States increasing vs decreasing enrollment, 2024-25 | 25 vs 20 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States still below pre-pandemic enrollment | 20 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| 4-year-olds in state-funded preschool, 2019 | 34% | Gray-Lobe, Pathak and Walters, NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021) |
Context note: when special education preschool and Head Start are added, 46% of 4-year-olds and 17% of 3-year-olds were served across major public programs, but that combined count fell by almost 29,000 children in 2024-25 because of declining Head Start enrollment (NIEER, 2025).
2. State Variation: Where a Child Lives Decides Access
Pre-K is a state program, and the map shows it. The District of Columbia enrolls 94% of its 4-year-olds, while six states (Idaho, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Wyoming) have no state-funded preschool meeting NIEER’s definition (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook). Twelve states now pass 50% of 4-year-olds, and the list mixes blue and red states: Vermont 72%, Colorado 70%, West Virginia 66%, Oklahoma and Iowa 65%, Florida 63%.
Scale is concentrated in four states. California (over 250,000), Texas (nearly 250,000), Florida and New York (over 150,000 each) serve 46% of all enrolled children. Missouri posted the largest one-year gain, from 10% to 22% of 4-year-olds, while Wisconsin had the largest drop at 4 percentage points. New Mexico, which made child care free for all families regardless of income (New Mexico ECECD), ranks 7th for 3-year-old access and 11th for 4-year-olds, with 16,429 children in NM PreK (New Mexico ECECD, April 2026).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Highest 4-year-old enrollment | DC 94%, Vermont 72%, Colorado 70%, West Virginia 66% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States enrolling over 50% of 4-year-olds | 12 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Highest 3-year-old enrollment | DC 76%, Vermont 56% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Largest one-year gain | Missouri, 10% to 22% of 4-year-olds | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States without a qualifying program | 6 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Share of enrollment in CA, TX, FL and NY | 46% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| New Mexico PreK enrollment, 2024-25 | 16,429 (+334); 7th nationally for 3-year-olds | New Mexico ECECD, 2026 |
| Any school enrollment, ages 3 to 5, 2023 | DC 94.4%, Connecticut 76.0% vs North Dakota 44.1%, Montana 46.8% | NCES, Digest Table 202.25 (ACS) |
Context note: the NCES state figures count any school or preschool enrollment, public or private, so they do not match NIEER’s state-funded shares. West Virginia enrolls 66% of 4-year-olds in state pre-K, yet only 48.6% of its 3- to 5-year-olds are in any school, because its program covers few 3-year-olds (NCES, Digest Table 202.25).
3. Spending: Record Totals, Thin Per-Child Budgets
Money followed enrollment upward, but per-child funding barely moved. States spent nearly 14.4 billion dollars across 44 states and DC in 2024-25, yet average state spending per child rose by only 45 dollars after inflation, to 8,124 dollars (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 executive summary). Adding federal and local sources lifts the total to 17.7 billion dollars and 9,988 dollars per child.
The spread between states is wider than the spread in enrollment. DC, New Jersey and Oregon spend over 15,000 dollars per child; eight states spend under 4,000, with Florida lowest at 2,963 dollars despite enrolling 63% of its 4-year-olds. Four states (California 4.1 billion, New Jersey 1.2 billion, New York 1 billion and Texas nearly 1 billion) account for 45% of all state spending. Federal pandemic relief has nearly vanished: 28 million dollars in 2024-25, a tenth of the prior year.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State pre-K spending, 2024-25 | Nearly 14.4 billion dollars (+434 million, 3%, inflation-adjusted) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| All-reported spending (state, federal, local) | 17.7 billion dollars; 9,988 dollars per child | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Average state spending per child | 8,124 dollars (+45 inflation-adjusted) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| State spending, 2023-24 | 13.6 billion dollars; 7,888 dollars per child | NIEER, State of Preschool 2024 |
| States raising vs cutting spending (real) | 28 vs 17 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Lowest spending per child | Florida, 2,963 dollars | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Federal COVID-19 relief in pre-K budgets | 28 million dollars (10% of prior year) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| New Mexico spending per child | 13,761 dollars (5th nationally) | New Mexico ECECD, 2026 |
Context note: Michigan and New Jersey each raised spending by over 100 million dollars, Georgia by 72 million, while Texas cut real spending by 84.5 million dollars (NIEER, 2025).
4. Quality Benchmarks: Big Programs, Low Standards
Access and quality are pulling in opposite directions. 46% of enrolled children are in programs that meet five or fewer of NIEER’s 10 quality benchmarks, and only 21% are in programs meeting nine or ten (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 executive summary). Three of the four largest programs, California TK, Florida and Texas, are among the low performers, so the expansion is landing disproportionately in the weakest standards.
The good news is a record six states meeting all 10 benchmarks: Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi and Rhode Island. Georgia’s jump from 8 to 10 came from lowering class sizes from 22 to 20 and ratios from 1:11 to 1:10, and it became the first universal program reaching more than half of 4-year-olds while meeting every benchmark (NIEER, State of Preschool 2025). Alabama has met all 10 for 20 consecutive years.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| States meeting all 10 benchmarks, 2024-25 | 6 (AL, GA, HI, MI, MS, RI), a record | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States meeting all 10 benchmarks, 2023-24 | 5 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2024 |
| State programs meeting 5 or fewer benchmarks | 20 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Children in programs meeting half or fewer | 46% (44% in 2023-24) | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 and 2024 |
| Children in programs meeting 9 or 10 | 21% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Georgia class size and ratio change | 22 to 20; 1:11 to 1:10 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Alabama consecutive years at 10 of 10 | 20 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| New Mexico benchmarks met | 9 of 10 | New Mexico ECECD, 2026 |
Context note: the share of children in low-benchmark programs grew from 44% to 46% in one year, even as the number of top-rated states rose, because growth was concentrated in large, low-benchmark programs.
5. Does Pre-K Work? What the Long-Term Studies Show
Quality matters because the outcome evidence splits. A lottery-based study of more than 4,000 Boston 4-year-olds found public preschool raised on-time college enrollment by 8 percentage points, an 18% increase over a 46% baseline, plus 6 points on high school graduation and 9 points on SAT-taking, with no detectable effect on state test scores (Gray-Lobe, Pathak and Walters, NBER Working Paper 28756). Effects were substantially larger for boys.
Tennessee points the other way. In a randomized study of 2,990 low-income children who applied to oversubscribed state pre-K sites, those assigned to attend had lower state achievement scores in grades 3 through 6 than the control group, with the strongest negative effects in sixth grade (Durkin, Lipsey, Farran and Wiesen, Developmental Psychology, 2022). A propensity-matched New Mexico study found a 9.7 percentage point increase in high school graduation (Courtney et al., International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy, 2023). The takeaway is not that pre-K works or fails; it is that program design and quality decide which result a state gets. Early reading gains feed directly into the trends in our literacy statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boston: on-time college enrollment effect | +8 percentage points (18% increase on 46% baseline) | NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021) |
| Boston: high school graduation effect | +6 percentage points | NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021) |
| Boston: SAT test-taking effect | +9 percentage points | NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021) |
| Boston: sample | More than 4,000 randomized applicants, 7 cohorts (1997-2003) | NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021) |
| Tennessee: randomized sample | 2,990 children from low-income families | Durkin et al., Developmental Psychology (2022) |
| Tennessee: test scores, grades 3 to 6 | Lower than control, strongest negative effect in grade 6 | Durkin et al., Developmental Psychology (2022) |
| New Mexico: high school graduation | +9.7 percentage points | Courtney et al., IJCCEP (2023) |
Context note: the Boston cohorts applied to preschool in 1997-2003, so the results describe the program as it ran then. Most recent available data for long-run effects: NBER (2021), Developmental Psychology (2022) and IJCCEP (2023).
6. Who Enrolls: Income, Education and Race Gaps
Federal survey data show the pandemic hole has nearly closed, but the class gap has not. 58.5% of 3- and 4-year-olds whose parents hold a bachelor’s degree were enrolled in school in 2023, versus 33.1% when no parent finished high school (NCES, Digest Table 202.20). Children above 185% of the poverty line were enrolled at 53.5%, those below poverty at 40.3%, which is the gap targeted state programs exist to close.
Overall enrollment of 3- and 4-year-olds fell from 49.2% in 2019 to 40.2% in 2021, then recovered to 48.8% in 2023. By age 5 the gaps narrow sharply as kindergarten takes over: 85.4% of 5-year-olds were enrolled. Hispanic 3- and 4-year-olds had the lowest rate among major groups, 42.8%, a gap that overlaps with the dual language learner population covered in our ESL enrollment statistics. Maternal employment also matters: in 2022, 52% of 3- and 4-year-olds with an employed mother were enrolled versus 41% when the mother was not employed (NCES, Condition of Education, Enrollment Rates by Age).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled, 2023 | 48.8% (49.2% in 2019, 40.2% in 2021) | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 5-year-olds enrolled, 2023 | 85.4% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 3- to 5-year-olds, public vs private, 2023 | 40.9% public, 20.1% private (61.0% total) | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 3- and 4-year-olds by parent education, 2023 | Bachelor’s or higher 58.5%; less than high school 33.1% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 3- and 4-year-olds by poverty status, 2023 | Above 185% 53.5%; 100-185% 41.0%; below poverty 40.3% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 3- and 4-year-olds by race, 2023 | Asian 54.4%, White 50.7%, Black 50.4%, Hispanic 42.8% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 (ACS) |
| 3- and 4-year-olds by mother’s employment, 2022 | Employed 52%; not employed 41% | NCES, Condition of Education |
| 3- and 4-year-olds, Pacific Islander, 2022 | 25% | NCES, Condition of Education |
Context note: these ACS figures count any school enrollment, including private nursery schools, so they run higher than NIEER’s state-funded shares.
7. Head Start, Child Care Costs and the Early Educator Workforce
Head Start is shrinking as state pre-K grows. Funded enrollment was 715,873 children and pregnant women in FY2024, on a 12.27 billion dollar appropriation (HHS Office of Head Start, Program Facts FY2024), versus 956,497 funded slots in FY2012, when funding was 7.97 billion dollars (Congressional Research Service, RL30952). That is about 25% fewer slots ((956,497 - 715,873) / 956,497), with roughly 17,140 dollars of appropriation per funded slot in FY2024 (12.27 billion / 715,873). Early Head Start now accounts for 181,049 of those slots, and NIEER attributes the 2024-25 drop in combined public preschool enrollment to falling Head Start enrollment at ages 3 and 4. 15% of Head Start children have IDEA disabilities, a group tracked in our special education IEP statistics, and 35% are dual language learners.
Families outside public programs face prices that rival rent. The national average annual price of child care was 13,184 dollars in 2025, and 33% of a single parent’s median income (Child Care Aware of America, Price and Supply 2025). The people providing that care earn little: the median preschool teacher made 38,140 dollars in May 2025, about 61% of the 62,680 dollars median for kindergarten teachers (38,140 / 62,680) (BLS, Preschool Teachers), and 43% of early educator families rely on public safety net programs (UC Berkeley CSCCE, Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024). Staffing pressure across the wider school system is covered in our teacher shortage statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Head Start funded enrollment, FY2024 | 715,873 (Head Start Preschool 488,792; Early Head Start 181,049) | HHS Office of Head Start, Program Facts FY2024 |
| Head Start cumulative enrollment and staff, FY2024 | 805,919 served; 251,000 staff; 15% staff turnover | HHS Office of Head Start, Program Facts FY2024 |
| Head Start funded slots, FY2012 | 956,497 (7.969 billion dollars) | Congressional Research Service, RL30952 (2014) |
| National average price of child care | 13,184 dollars (2025); 13,128 dollars (2024) | Child Care Aware of America, Price and Supply 2025 |
| Child care price growth vs inflation | +23% vs +24% (2021-2025) | Child Care Aware of America, Price and Supply 2025 |
| Licensed child care centers, 2024 | 92,550 (+1.5%); family child care homes 98,294 (+4.3%) | Child Care Aware of America, Catalyzing Growth (2025) |
| Median pay, May 2025 | Preschool teachers 38,140 dollars; kindergarten teachers 62,680 dollars; childcare workers 34,980 dollars | BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| Early educator median hourly wage | 13.07 dollars (vs 31.80 for elementary and middle school teachers) | UC Berkeley CSCCE, Workforce Index 2024 |
Context note: Child Care Aware reported that in 26 of 43 states with complete data (60%), center supply fell from 2024 to 2025, reversing a multi-year upward trend. Preschool teachers in educational services earned a median of 52,800 dollars versus 36,850 dollars in child daycare services (BLS, May 2025), so pay depends heavily on whether pre-K sits in a school or a center.
Summary: State-Funded Pre-K Enrollment by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Children in state-funded preschool, 2024-25 | Nearly 1.8 million | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| 4-year-olds / 3-year-olds enrolled | 37% / 9% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Enrollment growth, 2024-25 vs 2023-24 | +44,000 vs +111,243 | NIEER, 2025 and 2024 Yearbooks |
| States below pre-pandemic enrollment | 20 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Combined public programs (pre-K, special ed, Head Start) | 46% of 4-year-olds, 17% of 3-year-olds | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Highest 4-year-old access | DC 94% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States with no qualifying program | 6 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| State pre-K spending | Nearly 14.4 billion dollars | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Average state spending per child | 8,124 dollars | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Lowest per-child spending | Florida, 2,963 dollars | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| States meeting all 10 quality benchmarks | 6 | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Children in programs meeting half or fewer benchmarks | 46% | NIEER, State of Preschool 2025 |
| Any enrollment, 3- and 4-year-olds, 2023 | 48.8% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 |
| Parent education gap, 3- and 4-year-olds | 58.5% vs 33.1% | NCES, Digest Table 202.20 |
| Boston preschool effect on college enrollment | +8 percentage points | NBER Working Paper 28756 |
| Tennessee pre-K randomized sample | 2,990 children, lower scores grades 3 to 6 | Durkin et al., 2022 |
| Head Start funded enrollment, FY2024 | 715,873 | HHS Office of Head Start |
| Head Start appropriation, FY2024 | 12.27 billion dollars | HHS Office of Head Start |
| Average annual price of child care, 2025 | 13,184 dollars | Child Care Aware of America |
| Median preschool teacher pay, May 2025 | 38,140 dollars | BLS, Occupational Outlook Handbook |
Methodology and Sources
Every figure above was read during research for this article in a primary report, government table, peer-reviewed abstract or working paper. NIEER is the only source that counts state-funded pre-K specifically, so it carries the enrollment, spending and quality sections; NCES tables built on the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey supply demographic detail; and Head Start, cost and workforce data come from HHS, Child Care Aware of America, BLS and CSCCE. International comparisons (OECD Education at a Glance, UNICEF) were blocked by bot protection and were excluded rather than quoted secondhand.
- NIEER: State of Preschool 2025 Yearbook, 2025 executive summary, 2024 executive summary
- NCES: Digest Table 202.20, enrollment of 3- to 5-year-olds by child and family characteristics, 2013-2023, Digest Table 202.25, by state, 2023, Condition of Education, Enrollment Rates by Age
- HHS Office of Head Start: Head Start Program Facts, Fiscal Year 2024
- Congressional Research Service: Head Start: Background and Funding, RL30952 (2014)
- New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department: New Mexico climbs national preschool rankings (April 2026), Universal Child Care program
- Research: Gray-Lobe, Pathak and Walters, The Long-Term Effects of Universal Preschool in Boston, NBER Working Paper 28756 (2021); Durkin et al., Effects of a statewide pre-kindergarten program on children’s achievement and behavior through sixth grade, Developmental Psychology (2022); Courtney et al., Measuring impact of New Mexico prekindergarten, International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy (2023)
- Child Care Aware of America: Child Care in America: 2025 Price and Supply (May 2026), Catalyzing Growth: Using Data to Change Child Care (2025)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Preschool Teachers, Childcare Workers, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
- UC Berkeley Center for the Study of Child Care Employment: Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024
- Data watch: NIEER enrollment and spending cover the 2024-25 school year; the next yearbook will cover 2025-26. NIEER reports 1.42 million 4-year-olds (37%) in both the 2024 and 2025 yearbooks, so 4-year-old growth was essentially flat. NCES state ranges differ by edition (the Condition of Education gives 40% in North Dakota and 82% in DC for 2022; Digest Table 202.25 gives 44.1% and 94.4% for 2023) because they are different survey years; we cite the 2023 table. ACS enrollment counts any public or private school and is not comparable to NIEER’s state-funded shares. The Head Start FY2012 comparison comes from a 2014 CRS report (older baseline), and FY2024 funded enrollment includes pregnant women. The per-slot appropriation (about 17,140 dollars) is our own division and includes training, monitoring and research lines. CSCCE wage figures come from 2022 ACS data and differ from BLS OEWS figures. The Boston and Tennessee studies follow children who attended pre-K more than a decade ago. Head Start Program Facts and HHS pages were partly blocked to automated access and were read through a text mirror; Child Care Aware’s 2025 per-state price details were not available in the pages we could read.
Last updated: October 3, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next refresh is expected when NIEER publishes the State of Preschool 2026 Yearbook and the Office of Head Start releases Program Facts for Fiscal Year 2025.