Table 4.3. Percent and number of children enrolled in state prekindergarten programs, by state: 2020

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Table 4.3. Percent and number of children enrolled in state prekindergarten programs, by state: 2020–21

	Percent of children enrolled in state prekindergarten programs			Number of children enrolled in state prekindergarten programs
State	Total	3-year-olds	4-year-olds	Total¹	3-year-olds	4-year-olds
United States	16.8	4.8	28.6	1,337,688	186,994	1,150,694

Alabama	15.8	0.0	31.4	18,906	0	18,906
Alaska	3.1	1.2	4.9	636	116	520
Arizona	1.8	1.6	2.0	3,179	1,358	1,821
Arkansas	21.3	15.6	26.9	16,300	5,879	10,421
California	16.1	4.5	27.5	154,003	21,444	132,559

Colorado	13.6	7.2	19.8	18,188	4,757	13,431
Connecticut	11.8	8.5	15.1	8,763	3,120	5,643
Delaware	3.7	1.5	5.8	830	169	661
District of Columbia	73.7	64.0	83.5	12,816	5,596	7,220
Florida	29.2	0.0	57.7	136,142	0	136,142

Georgia	24.9	0.0	49.3	66,554	0	66,554
Hawaii	1.1	0.0	2.2	391	0	391
Idaho	†	†	†	†	†	†
Illinois	22.1	16.8	27.3	66,461	24,840	41,621
Indiana	†	†	†	†	†	†

Iowa	31.2	2.8	58.9	24,813	1,116	23,697
Kansas	26.7	13.6	39.4	20,148	5,037	15,111
Kentucky	13.6	6.0	21.1	14,936	3,246	11,690
Louisiana	14.3	0.2	28.1	17,463	100	17,363
Maine	17.0	0.0	33.4	4,413	0	4,413

Maryland	17.1	3.1	30.9	25,065	2,225	22,840
Massachusetts	27.7	21.7	33.7	39,744	15,469	24,275
Michigan	15.6	0.0	30.8	35,793	0	35,793
Minnesota	5.7	0.6	10.7	8,137	394	7,743
Mississippi	3.7	0.0	7.3	2,727	0	2,727

Missouri	4.3	1.4	7.1	6,374	1,023	5,350
Montana	†	†	†	†	†	†
Nebraska	23.2	15.3	31.0	12,280	4,026	8,254
Nevada	2.6	0.0	5.1	1,969	0	1,969
New Hampshire	†	†	†	†	†	†

New Jersey	22.4	15.8	28.8	46,895	16,460	30,435
New Mexico	21.1	7.7	33.9	10,388	1,848	8,540
New York	26.0	6.0	45.8	115,597	13,197	102,400
North Carolina	9.6	0.0	18.9	23,718	0	23,718
North Dakota	6.2	0.0	12.4	1,354	0	1,354

Ohio	5.4	1.8	8.9	15,052	2,431	12,621
Oklahoma	34.3	3.2	64.3	36,079	1,623	34,456
Oregon	9.3	7.2	11.3	8,629	3,293	5,336
Pennsylvania	13.4	8.1	18.6	37,967	11,380	26,586
Rhode Island	8.4	0.0	16.4	1,848	0	1,848

South Carolina	17.7	0.1	34.8	21,099	38	21,061
South Dakota	†	†	†	†	†	†
Tennessee	9.5	0.8	17.9	15,601	642	14,959
Texas	23.9	6.6	40.7	196,221	26,425	169,796
Utah	2.1	1.1	3.1	2,083	517	1,566

Vermont	43.8	30.2	57.0	5,203	1,778	3,425
Virginia	8.8	0.8	16.5	18,056	822	17,234
Washington	8.2	6.0	10.4	15,427	5,567	9,860
West Virginia	30.8	5.4	55.7	11,555	1,015	10,540
Wisconsin	28.1	0.1	55.6	37,885	42	37,843
Wyoming	†	†	†	†	†	†

† Not applicable. State did not fund a prekindergarten initiative during the 2020–21 school year.
¹There were an additional 20,559 children of other ages enrolled in state prekindergarten programs nationally, and not shown in the table, for a total enrollment of 1,358,247.
SOURCE: National Institute for Early Education Research, The State of Preschool 2021: State Preschool Yearbook, retrieved July 1, 2022 from https://nieer.org/state-preschool-yearbooks-yearbook2021.

Data Tables