What is the average cost of preschool?

The average price of preschool varies significantly according to geographic location, says LearnVest.com, a provider of personal financial management tools. While parents in Mississippi pay about $3,900 for a four-year-old to enroll full-time at a day care center, parents in Massachusetts pay around $11,700 as of 2016.

Parents in major urban centers may pay even higher prices. Cooperative preschools, in which parents assist with classroom instruction on a rotating basis, offer a lower cost option for parents who have the flexibility to spend several days in their child’s classroom each month. Co-op preschools typically charge tuition that is about half or a third of the price of traditional preschools. Families with income levels below the poverty line are eligible for Head Start, a federally subsidized preschool program.