Average Cost of Daycare & Preschool in Missouri (2024)
The average cost of daycare in Missouri is about $1,148 a month for an infant and $797 a month for a 4-year-old in a licensed center (2024 data). Below that, the real published rates of 6 Missouri schools — not an average.
Center-based preschool for a 4-year-old in Missouri averages $9,568 a year — about $797 a month, below the US average of $12,503. Infant care runs higher (about $13,780/year). Source: Child Care Aware of America, 2024 Affordability Analysis, 2024.
Real published tuition: among the Missouri preschools we list, published monthly tuition ranges $380–$2,238/month (16 programs that post prices). Most schools don't publish rates — ask for a quote.
Infant care in Missouri runs about $4,212 more a year than preschool-age care, so the cost usually falls as your child grows. Eligible Missouri families can pay far less — the state's public pre-K, Missouri Preschool Program (MPP), is free for income- or risk-qualified children — see help paying for preschool in Missouri.
Estimate your preschool cost
Based on Missouri's average — adjust for your child's age, schedule, and program type.
✓ Sent. See help paying for preschool in Missouri.
What Missouri preschools actually charge
State averages are a starting point, not a price. These are real published rates from 6 Missouri schools we list, taken from each school's own tuition page or rate sheet and converted to a monthly figure — cheapest program first. Click a school name to see the source.
| School | City | Program | Published rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone Center for Early Learning | St. Louis | Infant/Toddler (private pay) — weekly | $380/mo |
| SouthSide Early Childhood Center | St. Louis | Infants/Toddlers (tuition-based seat) — weekly | $395/mo |
| St. Margaret of Scotland School | St. Louis | K–8 — parish families (1/2/3/4+ children) | $721/mo |
| The Soulard School | St. Louis | Pre-K — 3 days | $748/mo |
| Sacred Heart Villa | St. Louis | Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 — 4-day | $1,295/mo |
| New City School | St. Louis | Part-day Early Childhood (Young 3s, 3/4s, or 4/5s) — 5 days/week, 8:30 AM–1:00 PM | $1,719/mo |
Lowest published program per school, normalised to a month. Most preschools don't publish rates at all — a blank here means we haven't found a published price, not that a school is cheap or expensive. Always confirm current pricing with the school.
Prices swing with schedule and program type — full-day costs about twice a half-day, and Montessori or private programs run well above a community or church-based one; meals, registration, and materials fees add more. What drives preschool pricing → · How to afford preschool → · Compare the real price →
Preschools in Missouri
See also: when your child can start in Missouri · preschool costs in other states.