Table A: Federal Head Start Enrollment
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2023-2024 FEDERAL HEAD START ENROLLMENT BY STATE*
3-YEAR-OLDS
4-YEAR-OLDS
STATE Number Percentage Number Percentage Alabama 5,104 9% 4,168 7% Alaska 1,083 12% 1,131 12% Arizona 5,174 7% 6,639 8% Arkansas 2,363 6% 1,874 5% California 28,541 7% 20,423 5% Colorado 3,000 5% 3,952 6% Connecticut 1,807 5% 1,966 5% Delaware 459 4% 554 5% District of Columbia 231 3% 193 3% Florida 14,168 6% 14,958 6% Georgia 9,353 7% 6,640 5% Hawaii 762 5% 983 6% Idaho 1,006 4% 1,242 5% Illinois 8,449 6% 7,367 5% Indiana 3,870 5% 4,260 5% Iowa 2,510 7% 2,395 6% Kansas 2,170 6% 2,580 7% Kentucky 5,019 9% 5,319 10% Louisiana 8,856 16% 5,337 9% Maine 809 6% 986 8% Maryland 3,161 4% 2,013 3% Massachusetts 4,207 6% 3,593 5% Michigan 10,061 9% 8,998 8% Minnesota 3,978 6% 3,679 5% Mississippi 6,725 19% 8,074 23% Missouri 5,358 7% 3,775 5% Montana 1,317 11% 1,411 12% Nebraska 1,403 6% 1,706 7% Nevada 1,178 3% 890 2% New Hampshire 501 4% 522 4% New Jersey 4,944 5% 5,171 5% New Mexico 2,791 13% 2,695 12% New York 16,014 8% 16,042 8% North Carolina 5,828 5% 7,507 6% North Dakota 823 8% 982 10% Ohio 10,244 8% 11,203 8% Oklahoma 6,160 12% 3,886 8% Oregon 2,305 6% 2,034 5% Pennsylvania 8,336 6% 10,072 7% Rhode Island 736 7% 766 7% South Carolina 5,683 10% 2,776 5% South Dakota 1,352 11% 1,833 15% Tennessee 6,037 7% 6,594 8% Texas 26,105 7% 20,834 5% Utah 1,886 4% 2,188 5% Vermont 299 5% 340 6% Virginia 4,427 4% 4,800 5% Washington 3,954 5% 4,003 5% West Virginia 2,378 13% 4,131 23% Wisconsin 5,667 9% 3,303 5% Wyoming 594 9% 540 8% 50 states + DC 259,185 7% 239,332 6% Guam 154 5% 380 13% * Data come from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) for 2023-2024, and the Head Start Service Location dataset. See the Methodology for additional details.
Table B: Minimum Gap in Spending per Child and Total Spending
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STATE All-reported
$ per child enrolled in preschoolEstimated per child cost of high quality preschool Gap between needed and current per child spending Percentage gap in per child spending Additional $ to meet quality standards for existing seats Alabama $10,063 $11,388 $1,325 13% $32,649,959 Alaska $6,959 $8,548 $1,589 23% $2,093,351 Arizona $7,972 $10,865 $2,893 36% $18,293,145 Arkansas $10,442 $12,458 $2,016 19% $40,954,653 California $15,421 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Colorado $5,722 $7,148 $1,426 25% $75,034,989 Connecticut $9,194 $16,741 $7,547 82% $93,076,031 Delaware $11,753 ADEQUATE SPENDING
District of Columbia $23,785 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Florida $2,856 $7,236 $4,381 153% $669,687,797 Georgia $6,400 $13,369 $6,969 109% $498,451,186 Hawaii $7,398 $13,650 $6,252 85% $6,414,735 Idaho NO PROGRAM
Illinois $8,133 $9,126 $993 12% $81,878,340 Indiana† $11,986 $12,841 $855 7% $6,799,070 Iowa $3,878 $8,824 $4,946 128% $139,417,058 Kansas $4,562 $8,724 $4,163 91% $100,885,570 Kentucky $12,673 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Louisiana $5,676 $12,721 $7,045 124% $137,484,938 Maine $10,714 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Maryland $17,262 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Massachusetts $6,033 $8,842 $2,810 47% $98,770,606 Michigan $12,761 $14,073 $1,312 10% $53,964,380 Minnesota $6,868 $11,585 $4,717 69% $37,111,666 Mississippi $9,753 $11,720 $1,967 20% $14,056,192 Missouri $4,844 $6,374 $1,530 32% $13,456,254 Montana NO PROGRAM
Nebraska $12,156 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Nevada $9,703 $14,454 $4,751 49% $17,133,263 New Hampshire NO PROGRAM
New Jersey $17,911 ADEQUATE SPENDING
New Mexico $13,227 $14,748 $1,521 11% $24,479,041 New York $6,285 $18,561 $12,276 195% $1,951,305,145 North Carolina $9,394 $12,017 $2,623 28% $71,621,389 North Dakota $6,118 $10,874 $4,756 78% $4,261,497 Ohio $4,250 $6,468 $2,218 52% $62,423,392 Oklahoma $11,103 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Oregon $18,637 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Pennsylvania $8,336 $12,766 $4,430 53% $244,448,542 Rhode Island $10,039 $15,927 $5,888 59% $13,918,629 South Carolina $4,534 $13,430 $8,896 196% $241,711,220 South Dakota NO PROGRAM
Tennessee $6,270 $12,728 $6,458 103% $113,874,734 Texas $4,767 $13,780 $9,013 189% $2,238,552,074 Utah $4,973 $6,788 $1,815 37% $3,650,467 Vermont $10,115 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Virginia $9,751 $16,278 $5,509 57% $137,691,609 Washington $13,013 ADEQUATE SPENDING
West Virginia $11 833 $11,899 $66 1% $916,249 Wisconsin $6,918 ADEQUATE SPENDING
Wyoming NO PROGRAM
Total $7,246,467,170 † Indiana’s state-funded ECE program does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility.
Table 1: State Rankings and Quality Checklist Sums
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State Access for 4-year-olds rank Access for 3-year-olds rank Resources rank based on state spending Resources rank based on all reported spending Quality standards checklist sum (maximum of 10) Alabama 17 None Served 18 17 10 Alaska 38 24 20 28 2.9 Arizona 44 27 15 26 3 Arkansas 24 8 31 15 8 California 13 16 4 5 4.2 Colorado 3 12 29 36 2 Connecticut 36 11 12 23 5.1 Delaware 42 25 8 12 9* District of Columbia 1 1 1 1 4 Florida 7 None Served 44 45 5 Georgia 10 None Served 23 31 8 Hawaii† 43 28 17 27 10* Illinois 20 3 26 25 8 Iowa 5 21 41 44 8 Kansas 16 5 36 41 6 Kentucky 26 18 22 9 8* Louisiana 23 33 30 37 7.8 Maine 14 None Served 24 14 9 Maryland 18 20 9 4 8 Massachusetts 25 9 43 35 6 Michigan 19 None Served 7 8 10* Minnesota† 37 34 21 30 5.4 Mississippi 31 None Served 37 19 10 Missouri 39 29 34 39 4.3 Nebraska 22 10 45 10 6 Nevada 41 31 10 21 7 New Jersey 21 4 3 3 9 New Mexico 12 6 5 6 9 New York 9 7 25 32 7* North Carolina 28 None Served 19 22 9* North Dakota 40 None Served 28 34 5 Ohio 35 23 39 43 5 Oklahoma 6 22 32 13 9 Oregon 34 14 2 2 7.6 Pennsylvania† 27 13 14 24 6.7* Rhode Island 29 None Served 11 18 10 South Carolina 15 35 38 42 7 Tennessee 32 32 33 33 9 Texas 11 15 35 40 2 Utah 45 30 42 38 6 Vermont 2 2 13 16 7 Virginia 30 26 27 20 4.9 Washington 33 17 6 7 8.2 West Virginia 4 19 16 11 9 Wisconsin 8 36 40 29 2 Indiana** Work requirement Work requirement Work requirement Work requirement 2 Idaho No program No program No program No program No program Montana No program No program No program No program No program New Hampshire No program No program No program No program No program South Dakota No program No program No program No program No program Wyoming No program No program No program No program No program † At least one program in these states did not break down total enrollment figures into specific numbers of 3- and 4-year-olds served. As a result, enrollment by single year of age was estimated.
* Indicates that while a policy meets the benchmark, at least one benchmark in the program is not being fully implemented.
** Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
Table 2: State Preschool Access By States
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Percent of children enrolled in state prekindergarten (2023-2024) Number of children enrolled in state prekindergarten (2023-2024) Access for 4-year-olds rank State 4-year-olds 3-year-olds Total (3s and 4s) 4-year-olds 3-year-olds Total (3s and 4s) 1 District of Columbia 95% 82% 88% 7,078 6,115 13,193 2 Vermont 76% 58% 67% 4,388 3,275 7,663 3 Colorado 70% 15% 43% 43,479 9,138 52,617 4 West Virginia 67% 7% 37% 12,064 1,311 13,375 5 Iowa 67% 6% 37% 25,606 2,302 27,908 6 Oklahoma 66% 6% 36% 33,349 3,010 36,359 7 Florida 65% 0% 33% 151,449 0 151,449 8 Wisconsin 63% 0.1% 32% 40,781 61 40,842 9 New York 56% 19% 38% 118,969 39,987 158,956 10 Georgia 55% 0% 28% 71,526 0 71,526 11 Texas 52% 11% 32% 204,876 42,590 247,466 12 New Mexico 51% 21% 36% 11,548 4,547 16,095 13 California 48% 10% 29% 207,852 42,855 250,707 14 Maine 47% 0% 24% 6,094 0 6,094 15 South Carolina 45% 0.2% 23% 26,990 135 27,125 16 Kansas 45% 21% 33% 16,200 7,553 23,753 17 Alabama 41% 0% 21% 24,640 0 24,640 18 Maryland 38% 7% 23% 27,501 5,227 32,728 19 Michigan 37% 0% 19% 41,120 0 41,120 20 Illinois 35% 24% 30% 48,774 33,568 82,342 21 New Jersey 34% 24% 29% 36,555 25,313 61,868 22 Nebraska 34% 16% 25% 8,668 4,032 12,700 23 Louisiana 34% 1% 17% 19,166 349 19,515 24 Arkansas 32% 19% 26% 12,077 6,927 19,004 25 Massachusetts 30% 17% 24% 21,014 11,593 32,607 26 Kentucky 27% 8% 18% 14,851 4,127 18,978 27 Pennsylvania 26% 13% 19% 35,452 17,505 52,958 28 North Carolina 22% 0% 11% 27,304 0 27,304 29 Rhode Island 22% 0% 11% 2,364 0 2,364 30 Virginia 22% 3% 13% 21,727 3,266 24,993 31 Mississippi 20% 0% 10% 7,145 0 7,145 32 Tennessee 20% 1% 11% 16,776 857 17,633 33 Washington 17% 8% 13% 14,830 6,860 21,690 34 Oregon 17% 12% 15% 7,186 5,118 12,304 35 Ohio 15% 6% 10% 20,218 7,926 28,144 36 Connecticut 13% 15% 14% 4,944 5,585 10,529 37 Minnesota 11% 1% 6% 7,501 367 7,868 38 Alaska 10% 4% 7% 940 345 1,285 39 Missouri 10% 2% 6% 7,529 1,165 8,694 40 North Dakota 9% 0% 4% 896 0 896 41 Nevada 9% 1% 5% 3,151 455 3,606 42 Delaware 8% 4% 6% 840 398 1,238 43 Hawaii 5% 2% 3% 734 279 1,013 44 Arizona 4% 3% 3% 3,213 2,370 5,583 45 Utah 3% 2% 2% 1,290 721 2,011 50 states + DC* 37% 8% 23% 1,420,655 307,232 1,727,888 Work requirement† Indiana† 9% 0% 5% 7,948 0 7,948 Guam 2% 0% 1% 50 0 50 No program Idaho 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 No program Montana 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 No program New Hampshire 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 No program South Dakota 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 No program Wyoming 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 * Nationwide, an additional 23,221 children of other ages were enrolled in state prekindergarten, for a total of 1,751,109 children.
† Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
For details about how these figures were calculated, see the Methodology section and Roadmap to the State Profile Pages.
Table 3A: Change In Preschool Enrollment of 3-Year-Olds Over Time
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2001-2002 to 2023-2024 2019-2020 to 2023-2024 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 State Number % Served Number % Served Number % Served Alabama 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Alaska 345 4% 64 1% 195 2% Arizona 2,370 3% 658 1% 183 0% Arkansas 5,985 16% 276 2% 535 1% California 31,931 8% -13,383 -1% 4,574 1% Colorado 8,408 14% 2,740 5% 4,193 7% Connecticut 4,050 12% 160 1% 926 3% Delaware 398 4% 135 1% 143 1% District of Columbia 4,990 62% -320 9% 186 3% Florida 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Georgia 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Hawaii* 279 2% 279 2% 153 1% Idaho 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Illinois 19,470 16% -744 2% 1,064 1% Indiana** 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Iowa 1,791 5% 863 2% 153 0% Kansas 7,553 21% 6,157 18% -78 0% Kentucky -745 -2% -2,031 -3% 186 0% Louisiana 349 1% 349 1% 194 0% Maine 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Maryland 3,819 5% 2,787 4% 303 0% Massachusetts 2,161 5% -429 0% 862 1% Michigan 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Minnesota* -448 -1% -169 0% -48 0% Massachusetts 2,161 5% -429 0% 862 1% Michigan 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Minnesota -448 -1% -169 0% -48 0% Missouri -1,381 -2% 15 0% 245 0% Montana 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Nebraska 3,908 15% -288 0% 9 0% Nevada 344 1% 455 1% 455 1% New Hampshire 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% New Jersey 12,528 13% 3,054 3% 2,302 2% New Mexico 4,077 19% 2,977 15% 2,103 10% New York 34,152 17% 29,264 14% 7,099 4% North Carolina 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% North Dakota 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Ohio -1,788 -1% 6,139 5% 5,202 4% Oklahoma 3,010 6% 171 1% 100 0% Oregon 4,009 10% 1,532 5% 261 1% Pennsylvania* 17,505 13% 2,447 2% 548 0% Rhode Island 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% South Carolina -215 0% -122 0% -56 0% South Dakota 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Tennessee 15 0% 649 1% -241 0% Texas 22,849 5% 5,493 2% 2,135 1% Utah 721 2% 202 0% 58 0% Vermont 2,906 53% -197 -1% -736 -13% Virginia 3,266 3% 3,266 3% 503 1% Washington 5,711 7% 1,526 2% -46 0% West Virginia -457 -1% 79 1% 133 1% Wisconsin -627 -1% -341 0% 19 0% Wyoming 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% United States 203,239 5% 53,713 2% 33,816 1% Guam 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% * At least one program in these states did not break down total enrollment figures into specific numbers of 3- and 4-year-olds served. As a result, the figures in the table are estimates.
** Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program
does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings
Table 3B: Change In Preschool Enrollment of 4-Year-Olds Over Time
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2001-2002 to 2023-2024 2019-2020 to 2023-2024 2021-2022 to 2023-2024 State Number % served Number % served Number % served Alabama 23,884 40% 4,201 7% 1,252 2% Alaska 940 10% -183 -1% 50 1% Arizona -1,064 -2% 326 1% 111 0% Arkansas 9,853 26% -707 0% 136 0% California 163,318 40% 25,461 11% 33,502 9% Colorado 35,159 57% 26,941 46% 28,140 46% Connecticut 527 4% -3,042 -8% -2,072 -5% Delaware -3 0% 258 2% 141 1% District of Columbia 4,067 51% -278 11% 257 7% Florida 151,449 65% -15,277 -6% -2,575 -2% Georgia 7,913 1% -8,802 -5% -1,936 -2% Hawaii* -515 -3% 56 1% 156 1% Idaho 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Illinois 9,872 13% -1,906 2% 274 1% Indiana** 7,948 9% 4,431 5% 1,717 2% Iowa 24,050 63% -1,129 1% -96 1% Kansas 13,970 39% 4,827 15% -131 0% Kentucky 2,034 4% -1,878 -3% 2 0% Louisiana 11,647 22% -1,289 1% 864 2% Maine 4,654 37% 208 3% 154 0% Maryland 9,127 13% -3,168 -3% 864 1% Massachusetts 11,582 19% -600 0% 1,111 2% Michigan 14,643 18% 3,752 5% 2,980 3% Minnesota* 6,231 9% -85 1% 117 0% Mississippi 7,145 20% 4,081 12% 1,816 5% Missouri 3,843 5% 1,888 3% 2,173 3% Montana 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Nebraska 8,312 33% -620 0% 45 0% Nevada 2,830 8% 81 1% 670 2% New Hampshire 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% New Jersey 12,674 14% 3,401 3% 1,179 1% New Mexico 11,178 49% 1,051 10% 1,102 6% New York 55,470 31% 9,553 8% -3,655 -1% North Carolina 26,064 21% -3,755 -3% 1,620 1% North Dakota 896 9% -339 -2% 359 4% Ohio 6,333 6% 4,135 3% 4,942 4% Oklahoma 7,470 10% -3,868 -4% -532 -1% Oregon 4,597 11% 1,412 5% 508 2% Pennsylvania* 32,902 24% 3,406 3% 1,311 1% Rhode Island 2,364 22% 944 9% 0 0% South Carolina 11,340 16% -1,693 -2% 952 1% South Dakota 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% Tennessee 15,018 18% -1,481 -2% 37 0% Texas 77,293 13% -6,393 2% 2,356 1% Utah 1,290 3% -413 -1% -34 0% Vermont 3,768 67% -234 -1% 681 12% Virginia 15,849 15% 2,568 3% 339 0% Washington 10,045 11% 6,164 8% 840 1% West Virginia 6,979 43% -1,327 -1% -5 1% Wisconsin 27,277 44% -5,670 -5% -248 -1% Wyoming 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% United States 854,275 23% 77,019 3% 79,758 2% Guam 50 2% -21 -1% -7 0% * At least one program in these states did not break down total enrollment figures into specific numbers of 3- and 4-year-olds served. As a result, the figures in the table are estimates.
** Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program
does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
Table 4: 2023-2024 Enrollment of 3- and 4-Year-Olds In State Preschool, Preschool Special Education, And Federal And State Head Start
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Pre-K + Pre-K Special Education Pre-K + Pre-K Special Education + Head Start†† 3-Year-Olds 4-Year-Olds 3-Year-Olds 4-Year-Olds State Number Enrolled % of State Population Number Enrolled % of State Population Number Enrolled % of State Population Number Enrolled % of State Population Alabama† 829 1% 26,048 44% 5,933 10% 28,578 48% Alaska*,† 547 6% 1,364 15% 1,639 18% 2,484 27% Arizona 5,067 6% 8,294 10% 10,241 13% 14,933 18% Arkansas 8,464 23% 17,453 47% 10,827 30% 19,327 52% California 51,614 12% 210,380 49% 80,155 19% 230,803 53% Colorado† 9,138 15% 43,479 70% 11,407 18% 45,734 74% Connecticut† 7,782 21% 8,187 22% 9,637 26% 10,000 27% Delaware 1,312 12% 2,190 20% 1,771 16% 2,745 25% District of Columbia† 6,115 82% 7,080 95% 6,223 84% 7,113 95% Florida† 6,290 3% 165,371 72% 20,458 9% 179,732 78% Georgia† 2,576 2% 74,236 57% 11,928 9% 77,030 59% Hawaii* 794 5% 1,815 11% 1,556 10% 2,799 17% Idaho 721 3% 1,318 6% 1,727 7% 2,560 11% Illinois† 33,568 24% 56,261 40% 41,702 30% 63,295 45% Indiana*, *** 3,787 5% 14,337 17% 7,657 9% 18,597 22% Iowa† 2,447 6% 26,504 70% 4,695 12% 28,683 75% Kansas 7,553 21% 17,191 48% 9,723 27% 19,771 55% Kentucky† 4,127 8% 16,345 30% 9,146 17% 20,669 38% Louisiana* 877 2% 23,995 43% 9,734 18% 29,332 52% Maine† 458 4% 6,209 48% 1,267 10% 6,267 48% Maryland*,† 8,117 11% 29,868 41% 11,257 16% 31,569 43% Massachusetts† 11,593 17% 21,034 30% 15,594 23% 24,439 35% Michigan† 2,210 2% 41,120 37% 12,271 11% 45,204 41% Minnesota** 3,438 5% 16,091 24% 7,416 11% 19,770 29% Mississippi† 162 0,5% 8,544 24% 6,887 20% 16,226 46% Missouri* 4 114 6% 14,300 20% 9,472 13% 18,076 25% Montana 18 0,2% 216 2% 1,335 11% 1,627 14% Nebraska† 4,032 16% 8,788 35% 4,884 19% 9,557 38% Nevada† 2,037 6% 5,853 16% 3,215 9% 6,508 18% New Hampshire 919 7% 1,297 10% 1,420 11% 1,820 14% New Jersey† 32,001 30% 46,018 43% 34,538 33% 47,713 45% New Mexico† 5,288 24% 11,548 51% 7,669 35% 13,629 60% New York† 48,362 23% 123,273 58% 61,491 29% 133,741 63% North Carolina† 2,803 2% 33,282 27% 8,631 7% 37,478 31% North Dakota† 353 3% 1,758 17% 1,176 12% 2,681 27% Ohio 12,422 9% 31,231 23% 22,666 17% 42,434 31% Oklahoma 3,010 6% 34,119 67% 9,170 18% 38,005 75% Oregon 5,711 14% 9,822 23% 8,016 19% 11,856 28% Pennsylvania*,† 23,312 17% 51,428 37% 31,519 23% 61,328 44% Rhode Island† 521 5% 3,434 31% 1,320 12% 3,980 36% South Carolina 1,901 3% 27,029 46% 7,583 13% 29,805 50% South Dakota 302 3% 906 8% 1,654 14% 2,739 23% Tennessee† 2,520 3% 21,035 25% 8,474 10% 25,996 31% Texas† 46,665 12% 214,030 54% 68,396 18% 214,030 54% Utah* 2,815 6% 5,302 11% 4,701 10% 7,490 16% Vermont 3,275 58% 4,420 76% 3,574 63% 4,760 82% Virginia† 6,019 6% 27,110 27% 10,422 11% 31,871 32% Washington 8,914 10% 19,049 22% 12,868 15% 23,053 27% West Virginia† 1,311 7% 12,064 67% 3,379 19% 13,032 73% Wisconsin 1,724 3% 41,635 64% 7,589 12% 45,056 70% Wyoming 554 9% 1,387 22% 1,148 18% 1,927 30% United States 400,490 11% 1,595,050 42% 647,164 17% 1,777,851 47% Guam 26 1% 82 3% 179 6% 462 15% * These states serve special education children in their state pre-K programs but were not able to provide the number of children for at least one of their programs. Estimates were based on the average
percent of special education students in state pre-K across all programs and enrollment numbers for each program or on percentages of children with IEPs reported in the previous year.
** The number of special education children in the Minnesota Head Start program was estimated based on the percentage of children with an IEP in Head Start as reported by the PIR.
*** Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the
program does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
† At least one program in these states was able to report the number of children enrolled in state pre-K and Head Start. This information was used to estimate an unduplicated count of Head Start
enrollment.
†† Totals can overestimate public enrollment in state pre-K, pre-K special education, and Head Start as some or all of Head Start children may be served in a state’s pre-K program and many states could
not report this information.
For details about how these figures were calculated, see the Methodology section and the Roadmap to the State Profile Pages.
Table 5: 2023-2024 State Preschool Quality Standards
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State/ Program Early learning & development standards Curriculum supports Teacher has BA Specialized training in pre-K Assistant teacher has CDA or equiv. Staff professional development Class size 20 or lower Staff-child ratio 1:10 or better Vision, hearing & health screening & referral Continuous quality improvement system Quality standards checklist sum 2022-2023 Alabama X X X X X X X X X X 10 Alaska X X 2 Arizona X X X 3 Arkansas X X X X X X X X 8 California CSPP X X X X X X 6 California TK X X X 3 Colorado X X X X 4 Connecticut CDCC X X X X X 5 Connecticut SR X X X X X 5 Connecticut Smart Start X X X X X X 6 Delaware X X X X X X X X X* 9* District of Columbia X X X X 4 Florida X X X X 4 Georgia X X X* X X X X X 8* Hawaii EOSL X X X X X X X X X X 10 Hawaii HPCSC X X X* X X X X X X X 10* Illinois X X X X X X X X 8 Iowa Shared Visions X X X X X X X 7 Iowa SWVPP X X X X X X X X 8 Kansas X X X X X X 6 Kentucky X X X X X X X X* 8* Louisiana 8(g) X X X X X X X 7 Louisiana LA 4 X X X X X X X X 8 Louisiana NSECD X X X X X X X 7 Maine X X X X X X X X X 9 Maryland X X X X X X X X 8 Massachusetts CPPI X X X X X X 6 Massachusetts Chapter 70 X X X X X X 6 Michigan X X X* X X X X X X X 10* Minnesota HdSt X X X X X X X X X 9 Minnesota VPK/SRP X X X X X 5 Mississippi X X X X X X X X X X 10 Missouri X X* X X 4* Nebraska X X X X X X X 7 Nevada X X X X X X X 7 New Jersey X X X X X X X X X 9 New Mexico X X X X X X X X X 9 New York X X X* X X X X 7* North Carolina X X X* X X X X X X 9* North Dakota X X X X X 5 Ohio X X X X X 5 Oklahoma X X X X X X X X X 9 Oregon Pre-K X X X X X X X X X 9 Oregon Preschool Promise X X X X X X 6 Pennsylvania RTL X X X X X 5 Pennsylvania HSSAP X X X X X X X X 8 Pennsylvania K4 & SBPK X X X 3 Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts X X X* X X X X X 8* Rhode Island X X X X X X X X X X 10 South Carolina X X X X X X X 7 Tennessee X X X X X X X X X 9 Texas X X X X 4 Utah X X X X X 5 Vermont X X X X X X X 7 Virginia VPI X X X X X X 6 Virginia Mixed Delivery X X X X 4 Washington ECEAP X X X X X X X X X 9 Washington TK X X X X X X 6 West Virginia X X X X X X X X X 9 Wisconsin X X 2 Total 58 56 31 47 19 19 46 48 41 42 Guam X X X X X X 6
Table 6: State Pre-K Resources 2023-2024
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State Resource rank based on state spending State $ per child enrolled in preschool Change in total state per child spending from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 Adjusted dollars Total state preschool spending in 2023-2024 Change in total state spending from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 Adjusted dollars District of Columbia 1 $23,785 $1,688 $314,419,667 $31,820,962 Oregon 2 $18,637 $2,585 $234,774,788 $46,644,445 New Jersey 3 $17,911 $1,690 $1,108,123,000 $161,011,555 California 4 $15,192 $515 $3,840,830,368 $656,366,415 New Mexico 5 $13,227 $5,258 $212,888,058 $107,488,625 Washington 6 $12,808 $927 $279,381,146 $29,262,249 Michigan 7 $12,761 $965 $524,720,000 $74,842,159 Delaware 8 $11,753 $2,570 $14,550,750 $5,790,112 Maryland 9 $10,977 $3,979 $361,918,293 $138,649,029 Nevada 10 $9,703 $282 $34,987,861 $11,615,598 Rhode Island 11 $9,489 $2,402 $22,430,859 $5,679,404 Connecticut 12 $9,194 Not reported $113,392,552 Not reported Vermont*** 13 $8,632 $429 $71,825,895 $3,464,516 Pennsylvania 14 $8,336 -$55 $460,009,750 $15,601,907 Arizona 15 $7,972 $2,585 $50,404,480 $18,334,868 West Virginia 16 $7,903 $885 $109,570,771 $13,205,354 Hawaii 17 $7,398 -$3,226 $7,590,165 $111,201 Alabama 18 $7,368 -$24 $181,550,866 $8,667,284 North Carolina 19 $7,117 $478 $194,318,020 $23,807,791 Alaska 20 $6,936 $2,150 $9,134,365 $4,156,841 Minnesota 21 $6,868 $964 $54,036,950 $7,992,761 Kentucky 22 $6,598 $861 $130,218,152 $18,222,436 Georgia 23 $6,400 $782 $457,779,908 $45,050,454 Maine 24 $6,338 $1,230 $40,313,880 $8,456,798 New York 25 $6,285 $215 $999,114,327 $55,046,901 Illinois 26 $6,171 $793 $508,924,188 $72,353,983 Virginia 27 $6,119 $338 $152,943,300 $13,223,463 North Dakota 28 $6,118 $1,365 $5,481,515 $2,919,855 Colorado 29 $5,722 $2,141 $301,057,683 $224,638,777 Louisiana 30 $5,676 -$210 $110,765,377 $2,127,339 Arkansas 31 $5,675 -$2,564 $115,274,454 -$43,325,038 Oklahoma 32 $5,133 $359 $197,385,755 $11,288,674 Tennessee 33 $4,902 $103 $86,437,438 $835,061 Missouri 34 $4,844 $532 $42,609,450 $15,120,955 Texas** 35 $4,682 $468 $1,061,419,621 $125,267,307 Kansas 36 $4,562 $399 $110,559,369 $9,357,190 Mississippi 37 $4,450 $1,185 $31,794,188 $14,395,473 South Carolina 38 $4,255 $375 $115,624,307 $13,581,197 Ohio 39 $4,250 $270 $119,612,000 $47,969,063 Wisconsin**** 40 $3,812 $0 $169,270,437 -$1,871,466 Iowa* 41 $3,735 $49 $96,606,841 $746,282 Utah 42 $3,326 $244 $6,688,608 $564,135 Massachusetts 43 $2,853 $341 $100,292,048 $17,227,034 Florida 44 $2,838 -$289 $433,804,469 -$52,952,921 Nebraska 45 $2,225 -$99 $29,435,102 -$1,232,023 50 states + DC $7,888 $675 $13,624,271,021 $1,937,388,530 Indiana† Work Requirement $10,023 $5,082 $79,665,126 $48,876,594 Guam $9,314 $1,184 $465,712 $2,310 Idaho No Program $0 $0 $0 $0 Montana No Program $0 $0 $0 $0 New Hampshire No Program $0 $0 $0 $0 South Dakota No Program $0 $0 $0 $0 Wyoming No Program $0 $0 $0 $0 * 2,325 children with instructional IEPs were served in Iowa’s SWVPP program but were funded by sources not reported by the state. Similar to prior years, these children were removed from the per-child
spending calculations.
** Texas includes 21,650 Non-ADA eligible children in their enrollment total. These children are removed from state funding per child calculations.
*** Vermont could not separate state, local, and federal spending. These were estimated based on K-12 spending percentages.
**** Wisconsin could not report pre-K spending for 2023-2024. It is estimated based on 2022-2023 reported spending
† Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program
does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
For details about how these figures were calculated, see the Methodology section and Roadmap to the State Profile Pages.
Table 7: All-Reported Pre-K Resources 2023-2024
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State Resource rank based on all-reported spending All-reported $ per child enrolled in preschool State reported non-state funds State $ per child enrolled in preschool Local $ per child enrolled in preschool Federal $ per child enrolled in preschool Total all-reported preschool spending District of Columbia 1 $23,785 No $23,785 $0 $0 $314,419,667 Oregon 2 $18,637 No $18,637 $0 $0 $234,774,788 New Jersey 3 $17,911 No $17,911 $0 $0 $1,108,123 000 Maryland 4 $17,262 Yes $10,977 $6,285 $0 $569,159,141 California 5 $15,421 Yes $15,192 $7 $223 $3,898,876,391 New Mexico 6 $13,227 No $13,227 $0 $0 $212,888,058 Washington 7 $13,013 Yes $12,808 $205 $0 $283,853,445 Michigan 8 $12,761 No $12,761 $0 $0 $524,720,000 Kentucky 9 $12,673 Yes $6,598 $3,106 $2,970 $250,130,532 Nebraska 10 $12,156 Yes $2,225 $4,539 $5,392 $160,850,738 West Virginia 11 $11,833 Yes $7,903 $5 $3,925 $164,054,009 Delaware 12 $11,753 No $11,753 $0 $0 $14,550,750 Oklahoma 13 $11,103 Yes $5,133 $4,409 $1,562 $427,001,401 Maine 14 $10,714 Yes $6,338 $4,377 $0 $68,153,508 Arkansas 15 $10,442 Yes $5,675 $3,463 $1,304 $212,079,785 Vermont*** 16 $10,115 Yes $8,632 $192 $1,290 $84,164,751 Alabama 17 $10,063 Yes $7,368 $2,695 $0 $247,950,361 Rhode Island 18 $10,039 Yes $9,489 $0 $551 $23,732,799 Mississippi 19 $9,753 Yes $4,450 $3,212 $2,091 $69,683,209 Virginia 20 $9,751 Yes $6,119 $2,821 $810 $243,698,805 Nevada 21 $9,703 No $9,703 $0 $0 $34,987,861 North Carolina 22 $9,394 Yes $7,117 $2 133 $144 $256,490,779 Connecticut 23 $9,194 No $9,194 $0 $0 $113,392,552 Pennsylvania 24 $8,336 No $8,336 $0 $0 $460,009,750 Illinois 25 $8,133 Yes $6,171 $1,962 $0 $670,768,028 Arizona 26 $7,972 No $7,972 $0 $0 $50,404,480 Hawaii 27 $7,398 No $7,398 $0 $0 $7,590,165 Alaska 28 $6,959 Yes $6,936 $0 $23 $9,164,365 Wisconsin**** 29 $6,918 Yes $3,812 $3,107 $0 $307,248,552 Minnesota 30 $6,868 No $6,868 $0 $0 $54,036,950 Georgia 31 $6,400 No $6,400 $0 $0 $457,779,908 New York 32 $6,285 No $6,285 $0 $0 $999,114,327 Tennessee 33 $6,270 Yes $4,902 $1,368 $0 $110,558,090 North Dakota 34 $6,118 No $6,118 $0 $0 $5,481,515 Massachusetts 35 $6,033 Yes $2,853 $2,695 $484 $212,071,280 Colorado 36 $5,722 No $5,722 $0 $0 $301,057,683 Louisiana 37 $5,676 No $5,676 $0 $0 $110,765,377 Utah 38 $4,973 Yes $3,326 $0 $1,647 $10,000,008 Missouri 39 $4,844 No $4,844 $0 $0 $42,609,450 Texas** 40 $4,767 Yes $4,682 $0 $85 $1,080,697,989 Kansas 41 $4,562 No $4,562 $0 $0 $110,559,369 South Carolina 42 $4,534 Yes $4,255 $0 $279 $123,195,310 Ohio 43 $4,250 No $4,250 $0 $0 $119,612,000 Iowa* 44 $3,878 Yes $3,735 $143 $0 $100,296,902 Florida 45 $2,856 Yes $2,838 $0 $18 $436,562,687 50 states + DC $8,857 Yes $7,888 $721 $248 $15,297,320,514 Indiana† Work Requirement $11,986 Yes $10,023 $0 $1,962 $95,262,478 Guam $9,314 No $9,314 $0 $0 $465,712 Idaho No program $0 NA $0 $0 $0 $0 Montana No program $0 NA $0 $0 $0 $0 New Hampshire No program $0 NA $0 $0 $0 $0 South Dakota No program $0 NA $0 $0 $0 $0 Wyoming No program $0 NA $0 $0 $0 $0 * 2,325 children with instructional IEPs were served in Iowa’s SWVPP program but were funded by sources not reported by the state. Similar to prior years, these children were removed from the per-child
spending calculations.
** Texas includes 21,650 Non-ADA eligible children in their enrollment total. These children are removed from state funding per child calculations.
*** Vermont could not separate state, local, and federal spending. These were estimated based on K-12 spending percentages.
**** Wisconsin could not report pre-K spending for 2023-2024. It is estimated based on 2022-2023 reported spending.
† Indiana’s state-funded early childhood education program is similar to state-funded preschool in other states. However, because it has a parent work or education requirement for eligibility, the program
does not meet NIEER’s definition of a state-funded preschool program. Indiana program information is reported here but not in national totals or rankings.
For details about how these figures were calculated, see the Methodology section and Roadmap to the State Profile Pages.