Last year, we released a cost-benefit analysis about universal prekindergarten in Ohio. We found that universal prekindergarten in Ohio could lead to between 9,300 and 29,000 new children enrolled in prekindergarten and between $220 million to $750 million in net economic returns. These benefits include increased lifetime earnings, reductions in criminal justice costs, and savings in special education.
Universal prekindergarten means that all families have the option of enrolling their children into a universal prekindergarten program that is publicly funded and accessible to all. Usually, universal prekindergarten is limited to four-year olds and sometimes three-year-olds. As of now, only four states (Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, and Vermont) and Washington D.C. have universal prekindergarten. Another eight have universal eligibility programs that do not necessarily provide prekindergarten to every eligible child. Today, I want to look at prekindergarten enrollment by state as reported in the American Community Survey to see if they align with the states that offer universal prekindergarten programs.
Pre-K Enrollment Across the United States
The following table shows the number of children enrolled in prekindergarten by state. The table is ordered by the percentage of children enrolled in prekindergarten in each state.
| Pre-K Enrollment by State | |||
| State | Number of Children Enrolled in Pre-K | Total Children Aged 3-4 | Percentage of Children Enrolled in Pre-K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 8,646 | 12,164 | 71.08% |
| New Jersey | 150,741 | 220,240 | 68.44% |
| New York | 278,601 | 436,513 | 63.82% |
| Connecticut | 45,537 | 72,133 | 63.13% |
| Mississippi | 37,847 | 64,986 | 58.24% |
| Massachusetts | 85,351 | 148,874 | 57.33% |
| New Hampshire | 15,923 | 28,253 | 56.36% |
| Illinois | 148,149 | 269,663 | 54.94% |
| Wyoming | 6,232 | 11,382 | 54.75% |
| Colorado | 65,653 | 122,308 | 53.68% |
| Louisiana | 61,553 | 114,828 | 53.60% |
| Florida | 254,189 | 493,696 | 51.49% |
| Kansas | 34,515 | 67,543 | 51.10% |
| California | 430,286 | 853,418 | 50.42% |
| Pennsylvania | 139,085 | 277,992 | 50.03% |
| Rhode Island | 12,039 | 24,217 | 49.71% |
| Maryland | 69,906 | 143,001 | 48.88% |
| Michigan | 107,189 | 220,343 | 48.65% |
| Georgia | 121,366 | 249,671 | 48.61% |
| Virginia | 96,086 | 197,701 | 48.60% |
| South Carolina | 55,752 | 115,622 | 48.22% |
| Maine | 12,350 | 25,669 | 48.11% |
| Texas | 386,523 | 808,459 | 47.81% |
| Minnesota | 61,667 | 129,083 | 47.77% |
| New Mexico | 19,092 | 40,582 | 47.05% |
| Washington | 78,144 | 167,498 | 46.65% |
| Delaware | 10,018 | 21,504 | 46.59% |
| Oregon | 37,732 | 82,534 | 45.72% |
| Missouri | 64,800 | 141,853 | 45.68% |
| Alabama | 51,516 | 114,660 | 44.93% |
| Iowa | 34,497 | 77,108 | 44.74% |
| Arkansas | 31,442 | 70,715 | 44.46% |
| Wisconsin | 57,890 | 131,336 | 44.08% |
| Ohio | 122,176 | 281,087 | 43.47% |
| Utah | 42,343 | 97,649 | 43.36% |
| North Carolina | 103,385 | 238,779 | 43.30% |
| Nebraska | 21,386 | 49,735 | 43.00% |
| Montana | 9,475 | 22,284 | 42.52% |
| Tennessee | 68,684 | 168,220 | 40.83% |
| Hawaii | 12,701 | 31,275 | 40.61% |
| Oklahoma | 39,248 | 99,149 | 39.58% |
| Indiana | 66,128 | 169,134 | 39.10% |
| Nevada | 28,342 | 72,874 | 38.89% |
| Alaska | 7,735 | 20,325 | 38.06% |
| Arizona | 61,233 | 161,159 | 38.00% |
| Kentucky | 41,187 | 108,996 | 37.79% |
| South Dakota | 8,248 | 21,921 | 37.63% |
| West Virginia | 13,611 | 36,536 | 37.25% |
| Idaho | 17,215 | 46,570 | 36.97% |
| North Dakota | 6,582 | 18,345 | 35.88% |
The American Community Survey asks families if their children attended school at all in the last three months, so this data likely overestimates actual prekindergarten enrollment rates. The top five states for prekindergarten enrollment are Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Mississippi, ranging from 58% to 71% prekindergarten enrollment. This means that only one state with universal prekindergarten, Vermont, ranks in the top five states for prekindergarten enrollment. The other three states with universal prekindergarten, Colorado, Florida, and Oklahoma, rank 10th (54% enrollment), 12th (51% enrollment), and 41st (40% enrollment) respectively.
Colorado and Florida still rank relatively high for prekindergarten enrollment, while Oklahoma is in the bottom 20% of states. One reason could be that Oklahoma’s universal prekindergarten program is only for four-year olds, so prekindergarten enrollment for three-year olds is likely much lower than for four-year olds.
What about the top five states for prekindergarten enrollment? What are the factors driving enrollment among these states?
Vermont
About 8,600 of 12,100 children aged 3-4 years old in Vermont are enrolled in school, accounting for about 71% of the population. Vermont’s universal prekindergarten program requires at least 10 hours of prekindergarten to be available for all children aged 3 to 5 years old in Vermont for 35 weeks in a school year.
Vermont is also the second smallest state by population and the sixth smallest state by land area, so administering universal prekindergarten and boosting enrollment is more seamless than for larger states. Vermont’s high prekindergarten participation rate may contribute to future educational attainment as well, as Vermont is the third-highest state for bachelor’s degree attainment with a bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 45.1%, only ranking behind Massachusetts and Colorado.
New Jersey
About 151,000 of 220,000 children aged 3-4 years old in Vermont are enrolled in school, accounting for about 68% of the population. New Jersey does not have universal prekindergarten, but they have an expansive prekindergarten program available for vulnerable populations. New Jersey also heavily invests into prekindergarten programs. The state spends nearly $19,000 per child on preschool education, ranking second in the nation, only behind Washington, D.C. Alongside New York and California, New Jersey is just one of three states that spends more than $1 billion on preschool annually.
Similar to Vermont, New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state in terms of land area, but they are the eleventh largest state in terms of population. In fact, New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation. A denser population historically results in higher participation in public programs, which may partially explain why New Jersey’s prekindergarten participation rate is so high.
New York
About 279,000 of 437,000 children aged 3-4 years old in New York are enrolled in school, accounting for about 64% of the population. In New York City, which accounts for close to half of the entire state’s population, all four-year olds already have access to prekindergarten. Prekindergarten access and New York City’s dense population are both key reasons for its high prekindergarten enrollment rate.
Earlier this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that by the 2028-2029 school year, New York will begin offering full universal prekindergarten for all children under 5 years old. This policy change is likely to increase New York’s prekindergarten enrollment rates even higher.
Connecticut
About 46,000 of 72,000 children aged 3-4 years old are enrolled in school in Connecticut, or about 63% of the population. Connecticut joins the first three states as another state located in the Northeast with high prekindergarten enrollment. Similar to Vermont and New Jersey, Connecticut is the third smallest state in terms of land area with a medium-sized population. Connecticut’s small size might make it easier for families to enroll in prekindergarten.
Connecticut doesn’t currently offer universal prekindergarten. However, Connecticut has recently been making strides to make prekindergarten more accessible for vulnerable populations, and some legislators have proposed plans for universal prekindergarten within the next several years. Connecticut also ranks ninth in median household income in the country at about $99,240. With more income, Connecticut households may be able to enroll their children in prekindergarten at higher rates.
Mississippi
About 38,000 of 65,000 children aged 3-4 years old in Mississippi are enrolled in school, accounting for about 58% of the population. Being located in the South, Mississippi is a deviation from the Northeast trend of the rest of the highest ranking states for prekindergarten enrollment.
According to the National Institute for Early Education Research, Mississippi is one of six states in the country to meet 10 of 10 benchmarks for preschool quality. Mississippi doesn’t have universal prekindergarten, and state spending on prekindergarten is only $4,832 per child, ranking 35th in the nation. So, why does Mississippi have such high prekindergarten enrollment rates?
Prekindergarten in Mississippi is mostly administered through Early Learning Collaboratives. Early Learning Collaboratives are state-funded pre-K programs which include school districts, Head Starts, and licensed childcare providers. Communities can receive state funding for Early Learning Collaboratives by forming collaborative partnerships between school districts and childcare providers. This means that many prekindergarten programs in Mississippi are offered through a partnership between public school districts and private childcare providers. Mississippi also offers a 1:1 state tax credit for individuals or corporations who donate funds to Early Learning Collaborates for up to $1 million, which encourages private entities to increase access and quality for prekindergarten in their communities.
The future of pre-K in the states
As time passes, more states are beginning to offer universal or subsidized prekindergarten programs. Universal prekindergarten can increase prekindergarten participation rates and create future financial savings for the state and households alike. However, as Mississippi has shown, universal prekindergarten might not be the only answer for states and communities to improve prekindergarten quality and access.
