More California 4-Year-Olds Are in Publicly Funded Preschool Than Ever

When it comes to universal pre-kindergarten, California has made significant progress — 62 percent of 4-year-olds were enrolled in publicly funded early childhood programs in 2024–25, up from 42% in 2019–20, according to a new Learning Policy Institute report.

Transitional kindergarten (TK) alone enrolled 55 percent of 4-year-olds, or about 177,000 children. But access remains uneven: nearly 4 in 10 4-year-olds still aren’t enrolled, and the share of eligible children actually signing up has declined. Families may be unaware that transitional kindergarten is an option for their children, or they face other barriers to enrolling. This school year marks the first time every 4-year-old in California was guaranteed a transitional kindergarten spot.

The number of California
4-year-olds enrolled in transitional kindergarten and other publicly funded early childhood programs went up from 208,300 in 2019-20 to more than 264,000 in 2024-25, a 27 percent increase.Source: Learning Policy Institute, California Department of Education, California Department of Social Services, U.S. Census Bureau • Chart by Yuxuan Xie, EdSource

Transitional kindergarten (TK) accounted for the largest enrollment at 55 percent or 177,570 4-year-olds enrolled in 2024–25.Source: Learning Policy Institute, California Department of Education, U.S. Census Bureau • Chart by Yuxuan Xie