Best preschools in South Pasadena
These are the 7 preschools we track in South Pasadena, 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. Oneonta Cooperative Nursery
Views the 3-year-old year as a joint venture between child, teacher, and parent. The curriculum is entirely play-based, messy, and creative, using open-ended materials to foster collaborative peer relationships.
- Little Explorers (12-23 months) · Monday 9:00-11:00 — $150/month
- Greenhouse Seedlings (2-3) · T/Th 8:30-12:00 — $4,300/year
- Greenhouse Sprouts (2-3) · M/W/F 8:30-12:00 — $5,800/year
- Sunroom/Treehouse (3-5) · M-Th 8:30-12:30 — $7,600/year
- STEAM Enrichment (add-on) · Fridays 8:30-12:30 — $1,700/year
- Leap Frogs (afternoon kinder prep) · M-Th 12:30-2:00 — $3,600/year
- Stay & Play (aftercare) · M-Th 12:30-2:30 — $380/month
- Summer Camp · 5 weeks — $950/year
2. Calvary Preschool
A church-affiliated, play-based preschool on Mound Avenue in South Pasadena.
- Young Preschool (24 mo-2 yr 9 mo), All-Day M-F · M-F — $505/week
- Young Preschool (24 mo-2 yr 9 mo), All-Day M/W/F · M/W/F — $360/week
- Young Preschool (24 mo-2 yr 9 mo), All-Day T/Th · T/Th — $275/week
- Preschool (2 yr 9 mo-5 yr), All-Day M-F · M-F — $411/week
- Preschool (2 yr 9 mo-5 yr), All-Day M/W/F · M/W/F — $275/week
- Preschool (2 yr 9 mo-5 yr), All-Day T/Th · T/Th — $185/week
3. St. James' Parish Day School
An Episcopal parish day school on Monterey Road in South Pasadena offering nursery, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten programs.
- Tuesday/Thursday Nursery (2 yr by 09/01/2026) · T/Th — $4,110/year
- Monday/Wednesday/Friday Nursery (2 yr by 09/01/2026) · M/W/F — $5,520/year
- 5-Day Nursery (2 yr by 09/01/2026) · 5 days — $9,420/year
- 5-Day Preschool (3 yr by 09/01/2026) · 5 days — $8,640/year
- Transitional Kindergarten (4 yr by 09/01/2026) · 5 days — $8,640/year
4. The Institute for the Redesign of Learning - Early Childhood Education
An early-childhood education program on Fremont Avenue in South Pasadena using a general developmental approach.
- Infant (Birth-23 mo), Full-Time 5 days · 7:00 am-5:30 pm — $2,152/month
- Preschool/Pre-K (38 mo-1st grade), Full-Time 5 days · 7:00 am-5:30 pm — $1,652/month
5. Room to Bloom Preschool & Child Care
A play-based preschool and child care center on Indiana Avenue in South Pasadena.
- Infant & Toddler (3 mo-2 yr), half day · AM 8:00-12:15 or PM 12:30-5:00 — $1,775/month
- Infant & Toddler (3 mo-2 yr), full day · 8:00 am-5:00 pm — $2,300/month
- Preschool (3-5 yr), half day · AM 8:00-12:15 or PM 12:30-5:00 — $1,700/month
- Preschool (3-5 yr), full day · 8:00 am-5:00 pm — $2,200/month
- School-Aged (5+) · Drop-off/pick-up from Monterey Hills Elementary — $14.00/hour/day
6. MyKkids
A play-based preschool on Monterey Road in South Pasadena emphasizing movement and sensory learning.
7. The Colonial House Preschool
Structures the 3-year-old year around center-based rotations. They introduce pre-reading cues, math manipulatives, and heavy creative arts to engage the highly imaginative state typical of 3-year-olds.
How we ranked these
Schools rise on this list when they publish information a parent can check: a verified state child-care license with a clean inspection record (1 here have one), published tuition (5 here do), listed staff-to-child ratios, and detailed policies. We never take payment to rank a school, and we never invent numbers — a blank means the school hasn't published it, not that it scored zero. Read more about how to check a preschool's license and what to ask on a tour.
Every program we track in South Pasadena, with tuition, licensing, and approach.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best preschools in South Pasadena?
First Cubby ranks the 7 preschools it tracks in South Pasadena by how much verified, published information each one shares — state licensing and inspection records, published tuition, staff ratios, and program details — so you can compare the programs you can actually vet. The order is a transparency ranking, not a subjective quality score; tour your shortlist before deciding.
How does First Cubby rank preschools?
We order schools by the depth of verified, published data a parent can check: a verified state child-care license with a clean inspection record, published tuition, listed staff-to-child ratios, and detailed policies. We never take payment to rank a school and we never invent numbers — a blank means the school hasn't published it.
Are these South Pasadena preschools licensed?
1 of the 7 programs shown have a state child-care license we verified against the official licensing database, including capacity and inspection history. Licensing is a health-and-safety floor, not a quality guarantee — always confirm a school's current status yourself.
How much do the best preschools in South Pasadena cost?
5 of the programs here publish their tuition, shown on each listing. Cost varies by schedule and approach; our guide on how much preschool costs explains how to compare the real price, and how to afford preschool covers subsidies, TK, and Head Start.
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