Best preschools in St. Louis
These are the 11 preschools we track in St. Louis, MO, 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. New City School
A progressive independent school with an early-childhood program in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis.
- Part-day Early Childhood (Young 3s, 3/4s, or 4/5s) · 5 days/week, 8:30 AM–1:00 PM — $20,630/year
- Full-day Young 3s or 3/4s · 5 days/week, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM — $24,630/year
- Full-day 4/5s through 6th Grade · 5 days/week, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM — $26,860/year
- Extended Day (3:30–6:00 PM daily) · daily after school — $340/month
- Extended Day drop-in · as needed — $8 per 30 minutes/session
- No School At School / Break Camps · non-school days — $83/day
2. Sacred Heart Villa
A Catholic early-childhood center on The Hill in St. Louis.
- Toddler · 4-day — $1,390.00/month
- Toddler · 5-day — $1,625.00/month
- Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 · 4-day — $1,295.00/month
- Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 · 5-day — $1,390.00/month
3. Cornerstone Center for Early Learning
An early-learning center in the Shaw and Tower Grove East area of St. Louis.
- Infant/Toddler (private pay) · weekly — $380/week
- Twos (private pay) · weekly — $345/week
- Preschool (private pay) · weekly — $220/week
- Families receiving state child-care assistance · weekly — Sliding fee of $25 or less per week, determined by the state/week
4. St. Margaret of Scotland School
A Catholic parish school with a preschool program in the Tower Grove East and Shaw area of St. Louis.
- Preschool — one child — $9,400/year
- Preschool — two children — $13,000/year
- K–8 — parish families (1/2/3/4+ children) — $8,650 / $13,300 / $15,700 / $16,800/year
- K–8 — non-parishioner & non-Catholic families (1/2/3/4+ children) — $9,300 / $14,500 / $17,500 / $19,200/year
5. The Soulard School
An independent school with an early-childhood program in the historic Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis.
- Pre-K · Full week (5 days), 8:30–3:30 — $13,000/year
- Pre-K · 4 days — $11,440/year
- Pre-K · 3 days — $8,970/year
- Beforecare (7:00–8:30, Sr. Pre-K only) · Full week — $1,240/year
- Beforecare (Sr. Pre-K only) · 4 days / 3 days — $1,015 / $745/year
- Aftercare (3:30–6:00) · Full week — $3,225/year
- Aftercare · 4 days / 3 days — $2,580 / $1,935/year
6. City Garden Montessori School
A Montessori school serving early-childhood students in the Botanical Heights and Shaw area of St. Louis.
- Preschool (Primary) — tuition-based — Income-based sliding scale (Levels A–D), determined by family size and income; dollar amounts not published
- Kindergarten–8th grade (public charter) — Free (public charter school)
7. Wilkinson Early Childhood Center
A public early-childhood center in the southwest St. Louis area near Dogtown.
- Pre-Kindergarten (St. Louis Public Schools) · ages 3–4 by Aug 1, fully toilet trained — Free — no tuition
8. SouthSide Early Childhood Center
An early-childhood center on the near south side of St. Louis.
- Infants/Toddlers (tuition-based seat) · weekly — $395/week
- Two Year Olds (tuition-based seat) · weekly — $329/week
- Preschoolers (tuition-based seat) · weekly — $229/week
9. The Nest at Central Reform Congregation
A play-based early-childhood program housed at Central Reform Congregation in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis.
10. Tower Grove Christian Academy
A faith-based preschool and elementary school in the Shaw neighborhood near Tower Grove Park in St. Louis.
11. Guidepost Montessori at Central West End
A Montessori early-childhood program in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis.
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, published tuition (8 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 St. Louis, with tuition, licensing, and approach.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best preschools in St. Louis?
First Cubby ranks the 11 preschools it tracks in St. Louis 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.
How much do the best preschools in St. Louis cost?
8 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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