US Preschool Enrollment Reaches Record 1.8 Million

State-funded preschool enrollment in the United States reached a record high last school year, with 1.8 million children participating, according to an annual report from the National Institute of Early Education Research. The surge, which covered 37 percent of 4-year-olds and about 10 percent of 3-year-olds, added 44,000 students nationwide and was fueled by states adopting universal access policies and investing a record $14.4 billion.

The expansion marked progress in early education, though gains were smaller than the previous year and access varied widely by state. While some areas added thousands of spots, others saw enrollment decline. The report described the national landscape as uneven, likening it to a race where certain states advanced toward providing high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds, while others lagged or made no progress.

California drove more than half the national increase, adding 25,000 students through its transitional kindergarten program, which became available to every 4-year-old this year. The program offers a play-based curriculum running the length of a workday. However, the rapid expansion came with challenges: California met only two of...