Guide to Lower Preschool Costs

Many factors, including size and location of the daycare, hours of care, meals and snacks offered, and enrichment activities, impact the cost of daycare in Denver. It’s important to understand that daycares and preschool are not always one and the same. Daycares provide supervision and care for children, whereas preschools provide educational learning opportunities (and may or may not provide child care outside of the preschool program).

Read more about how the cost of preschool has outpaced the rate of inflation in recent years. 

The average cost of preschool in Colorado varies throughout the state. Oftentimes, preschool cost estimates are combined with child care costs in Colorado. In Denver, Denver Public Schools states that the cost to provide preschool is $1,849 per month per child for full-day, and $925 per month per child for half-day. The average cost of full-day preschool in Denver among all providers (home-based, community-based, and DPS), is roughly $1,600 a month. That means the cost of preschool per week is approximately $400 per child. 

Many families pay for preschool in Colorado beyond the amount covered by Colorado Universal Preschool and/or other support like Head Start and the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP). So how can families get free preschool in Colorado? There’s no simple answer, but many of the tuition support programs can be combined, helping families save the most on their preschool costs.

Denver does not have free preschool or free pre-k, but every Denver family with a 4-year-old qualifies for support from Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) and Denver Preschool Program. 

Every Colorado family is eligible for up to 15 hours of free, high-quality preschool education for their 4-year-old child in the year before their child enters kindergarten. Some families qualify for additional support through Colorado UPK. 

During the 2023-2024 school year, Denver families received an average of $625 in tuition support from Colorado UPK (and $1,100 for families who applied for and received additional support from Colorado UPK) and $657 from DPP tuition credits per month. That is more than $1,200 monthly and $14,000 for the school year! 

Denver Preschool Program also supports families with the most need, helping 361 families with full tuition support–meaning they paid nothing for preschool costs–during the 2023-2024 program year. 

All Denver families who live in the city and county of Denver qualify for support from Denver Preschool Program to lower your preschool costs. Families with 4-year olds and many with 3-year-olds can receive DPP tuition support, regardless of income, neighborhood, or immigration status. To qualify, families must live in Denver and enroll in a participating early childhood education provider. Learn more about how to apply for DPP tuition assistance and additional frequently asked questions about saving on preschool costs.

Pre-k, also known as pre-kindergarten, is typically for children who are 4 and will be starting kindergarten the following year. You might be wondering–what is the difference between pre-k and preschool? Preschool is early childhood education for children ages 3-5, whereas pre-k is early childhood education in the year before a child enters kindergarten (typically when they are 4-years-old). 

Yes, preschool has consistently been shown to be worth the cost. Research shows that preschool helps children be more successful in school and throughout their lives. Nobel-prizing winning economist James Heckman found that preschool yields one of the best returns on investment. And, when preschool is combined with other early childhood interventions and education, it can yield up to a 13% return on investment. Plus, preschool not only benefits children, it also benefits their families and the entire community.

Some children start preschool in Colorado when they are 3, and others begin after they turn 4-years-old. Families decide which age is appropriate for their child. Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK) provides tuition support for all Colorado children who are 4-years old and are in preschool the year before they enter kindergarten. Denver Preschool Program provides tuition support for all Denver families with 4-year-olds and many with 3-year-olds.

When your child starts preschool depends on their social and emotional development, cognitive skills, and physical independence. Many children are ready to start preschool when they are 3-years-old, but every child is different.