Best preschools in Los Angeles

These are the 11 preschools we track in Los Angeles, CA, ranked by how much verified, published information each one shares — state licensing and inspection records, published tuition, staff ratios, and program details. It's a transparency ranking (the programs you can actually vet), not a paid list and not a subjective quality verdict. Tour your shortlist before deciding.

1. PLAY Preschool

2828 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Play-based · Inquire

Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record · Published tuition · Detailed policies

A play-based preschool in Silver Lake focused on learning through play, creativity, and exploration.

🛡️ State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 162 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 10/24/2025.

CA Community Care Licensing · license 198019498, 198019499. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number. How to read this record →

Published tuition (from the school's own site)

Infant - Lime Classroom (3-12 months) · Early Morning Drop off, 5 days, 7:30-8:00am (limited spaces) — $200/per month
Infant - Lime Classroom (3-12 months) · 2 day, create your own schedule, 8:00am-6:00pm — $1,786/per month
Infant - Lime Classroom (3-12 months) · 3 day, create your own schedule, 8:00am-6:00pm — $2,457/per month
Infant - Lime Classroom (3-12 months) · 4 day, create your own schedule, 8:00am-6:00pm — $2,995/per month
Infant - Lime Classroom (3-12 months) · 5 day program, 8:00am-6:00pm — $3,500/per month
Infant - Lemon Classroom (13-24 months) · Early Morning Drop off, 5 days, 7:30-8:00am (limited spaces) — $200/per month
Infant - Lemon Classroom (13-24 months) · 2 day, create your own schedule, 8:00am-6:00pm — $1,750/per month
Infant - Lemon Classroom (13-24 months) · 3 day, create your own schedule, 8:00am-6:00pm — $2,210/per month

Fees: New family registration fee (non-refundable, due at enrollment) $750 · Yearly building/maintenance fee (non-refundable, due by 9/1) $750 · Recommendation letters and similar paperwork $50 · Declined account payment charge (per occurrence, in addition to late fees) $25 · Written request to delay tuition processing (limit 2 per school year) $25 per day · Late pickup after 6:00pm $2 per minute from 6:01pm, $10 minimum

Program details (from the school's own site)

Approach: Play-based, inspired by Best Practices in Early Childhood education. "Research shows that children learn best through play and so here at PLAY preschool we take a play based approach to learning" — scaffolded learning with open-ended questions, aimed at independence, communication and creativity. Parenting classes and bi-annual parent-teacher meetings are offered. A for-profit centre accepting children regardless of race, sex, creed or colour, enrolling year-round on a first-come, first-served basis.

Extracurricular: Show and Tell every Friday for the older classes; school-wide family events including potlucks and carnivals.

Ages served: Children from 3 months to 5 years of age. Lime classroom 3-12 months, Lemon 13-24 months, Preschool 2-5 years.

Hours: 7:30 am - 6:00 pm, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays. Regular preschool day ends at 12:30 (half day) or 4:30 (regular day); signing out later automatically adds a drop-in extended-care fee.

Calendar: Year-round

Meals: Not included — families provide food — Families pack meals — "think of it as meals, not lunch or snacks" — and staff will warm them. PLAY provides snacks twice a day for the preschool programme: AM snack between 9:30 and 10:00 am, PM snack at 4:40 pm. Infants are fed on cue; bottles must be labelled, breast milk dated, fresh milk stored one day and bottle contents discarded within two hours.

Allergy policy: Nut-free school — "We ask that everything is free of nuts due to allergies in the school." An anaphylactic allergy requires a paediatrician's note explaining EpiPen and medication administration; milder allergies require a medical release form with dose, frequency and times.

Teacher credentials: "All staff must have a minimum of 12 ECE units, however the majority of our staff have completed their bachelors or are working towards it." All lead teachers hold a bachelor's degree or several years of experience. Staff attend five annual development days. All staff are CPR and First Aid certified.

Potty-training: Not required

Discipline: Behaviour is handled developmentally rather than punitively: biting, hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching and scratching are treated as within the typical range at different stages, with frequency and intensity as the trigger for a closer look. Escalation is staged — the director contacts the family, a teacher may shadow the child, assessment tools are used over 1-2 weeks, findings are shared, and the family may be asked to contact the regional centre (0-3) or LAUSD (3+) for assessment or to provide a behaviour therapist. "In very rare cases, we may not be able to accommodate a child's needs. In that case, we will help you find an appropriate setting."

Sick policy: A child with fever, diarrhoea or vomiting must be symptom-free for at least 24 hours before returning, WITHOUT fever-reducing medication. A child on antibiotics may return with a doctor's note confirming when. A child with no fever who is inconsolable, unlike themselves, or off their food and sleep may be sent home; a runny nose plus seeming unwell may also mean going home unless teething or allergies are agreed to be the cause. The school reserves the right to ask for a doctor's note in any case. Medications require a Medical Release Form plus a written note from the paediatrician, in original packaging; no pain or fever reducers without a doctor's note. Lice: a school-wide check follows any report, and a child is excluded until all nits and lice are removed by a professional and a note is provided.

Withdrawal: Cancelling enrollment requires 30 days' written notice, during which schedule changes cannot be made. Schedule changes otherwise require written notice at least 30 days before the month the change takes effect, subject to availability and administration approval. Three late payments may result in termination of enrollment.

Dress code: Comfortable, practical, weather-appropriate clothing for messy indoor and outdoor play; clothing easy to put on and take off to support bathroom independence; all belongings labelled with first and last name. Shoes must fit and fasten with Velcro, buckles or laces — "Absolutely no flip-flops, heels or shoes that otherwise are not appropriate for play." The Lime infant classroom is a shoe-free environment. At least 2 complete changes of clothes (5 during potty training), plus sunscreen with a signed permission slip; sunscreen is not applied to infants under six months without a doctor's note.

2. Los Feliz Cooperative Nursery School

3401 Riverside Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Parent cooperative · Inquire

Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record · Published tuition

A parent-participation cooperative nursery school in Los Feliz, where families help run a play-based classroom.

🛡️ State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 28 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 4/7/2026.

CA Community Care Licensing · license 191801926. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number. How to read this record →

Published tuition (from the school's own site)

Cooperative nursery · 2 days per week — $260/per month (2026-27)
Cooperative nursery · 3 days per week — $355/per month (2026-27)
Cooperative nursery · 4 days per week — $455/per month (2026-27)
Cooperative nursery · 5 days per week — $525/per month (2026-27)

Program details (from the school's own site)

Approach: Parent cooperative nursery school — the first cooperative nursery school in the City of Los Angeles. Families participate directly in running the school.

Ages served: "Children 2.5-5 years of age are eligible to enroll."

Hours: School days 9:00am to 1:00pm.

Calendar: Academic year

3. Silver Lake Center for Creativity

1108 N Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Play-based / arts · Inquire

Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record · Staff ratios listed

A play- and arts-based preschool in Silver Lake emphasizing creativity and hands-on exploration.

🛡️ State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 30 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 9/24/2025.

CA Community Care Licensing · license 198021728. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number. How to read this record →

Fees: Enrollment deposit (non-refundable, credited to first month of tuition) $500 · New student fee $500

Program details (from the school's own site)

Approach: Reggio Emilia-influenced but deliberately not doctrinaire: "We are not beholden to any one pedagogical framework. Rather, we seek evidence-based practices from several philosophies." Observation and documentation are named as the specifically Reggio element. A separate RIE Studio runs RIE-Certified parent-infant classes. The school describes itself as a "research-driven preschool committed to providing hands-on, collaborative learning experiences."

Extracurricular: Extended Day Enrichment including Somatic Movement, Storytelling Workshop, Construction Zone and Reflective Journaling Workshop.

Ages served: Ages 2.5 to 6 for the preschool; the RIE Studio serves parent-infant classes.

Hours: 8:30 - 4:45, Monday-Friday. The Regular Day ends at 2:30; Extended Day Enrichment runs to 4:45.

Meals: Not included — families provide food — Lunch is brought from home; 2 organic daily snacks are provided.

Allergy policy: Nut-sensitive.

Staff ratios: Teacher to student ratio 1:5, with 2 co-lead teachers during Regular Day programming plus an additional teacher.

Teacher credentials: A RIE-Certified mentor leads the parent-infant classes; no general staff credential requirement is published.

Potty-training: Not required

4. The Oaks Montessori Preschool

4817 Eagle Rock Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041

Montessori · Inquire

Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record

A Montessori preschool in Eagle Rock (formerly American Montessori Preschool) with decades of history in the neighborhood.

🛡️ State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 44 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 6/2/2026.

CA Community Care Licensing · license 198021692. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number. How to read this record →

Program details (from the school's own site)

Approach: Infant centre and Montessori preschool, "founded by a family of educators who were passionate about infant care and the Montessori preschool method."

5. Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School

2414 Lake View Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Parent cooperative · Inquire

Why it stands out: ✓ State-licensed (verified) — no serious deficiencies on record

One of Los Angeles’s oldest cooperative nursery schools, near Echo Park, run by participating families with a nature- and play-based approach.

🛡️ State licensing record — Licensed · capacity 24 · 0 serious deficiencies (Type A) · 0 substantiated complaints · last inspected 9/4/2026.

CA Community Care Licensing · license 191802033. The state publishes counts and outcomes, not the allegation text — request the full report from CDSS with the control number. How to read this record →