Iowa ranks fifth in nation for 4-year-old preschool attendance
What to know about Des Moines Public Schools
Des Moines Public Schools has nearly 30,000 students. Here’s what else to know about Iowa’s biggest school district.
Iowa ranks fifth in the nation for access to 4-year-old preschool, according to a new report by the National Institute for Early Education Research.
During the 2023-24 school year, 67% of Iowa 4-year-olds attended a state-funded preschool program, the “2024 State of Preschool Yearbook” report released April 29 said. Nationally, 37% of 4-year-olds were enrolled. The District of Columbia, Vermont, Colorado and West Virginia beat Iowa for the top four spots.
This is the 22nd State of Preschool Yearbook put out by the nonpartisan National Institute for Early Education Research at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. The state rankings were determined using the percentage of 4 and 3-year-old students enrolled in state preschools, state spending per enrolled child and all reported spending per enrolled child.
This is the third year that Iowa has ranked fifth in the nation, according to the institute’s data. In 2021, Iowa ranked third in the country.
During the 2023-24 school year, a total of 28,189 preschool-aged children participated in Iowa’s Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program and Shared Visions Program, the report states. This is a decrease of 5 from the previous year.
Preschool is not mandatory in Iowa, but in recent years there has been a push to expand access to all-day classes for 4-year-olds. Des Moines Public Schools and the Iowa Catholic Conference have been among those asking lawmakers for additional funding.
Providing all-day care for children has also been a priority of Gov. Kim Reynolds during the 2025 legislative session. Senate File 445 — which has already passed the Senate — would open new grant opportunities for state preschool programs and childcare providers to work together if it were signed into law.It is important that state’s invest in their children’s futures, said W. Steven Barnett, NIEER’s senior director and founder, in the organization’s news release.
“Iowa leaders should be proud of the state’s ranking of fifth in the nation – and first in the Midwest – in serving four-year-olds in quality preschool,” Barnett said. “State leaders can now work to expand preschool access to more three-year-olds while ensuring that per-pupil investments are adequate to help providers meet quality standards.”
How did Iowa fair with enrolling 3-year-olds?
Iowa came in 21st in the nation for number of 3-year-olds enrolled in state-funded preschool programs during the 2023-24 school year, the report states. Only 6% of the state’s 3-year-olds were enrolled at that time. Nationally, 8% of 3-year-olds were enrolled in similar programs.
Iowa came in 22nd in the 2023 report.
What did Iowa spend on preschool during the 2023-24 school year?
During the 2023-24 school year, the state spent $96.6 million on its preschool students, according to the group’s findings. That is up 1% or $746,282 from the 2022-23 school year. Per child, the cost was “$3,735 in 2023-2024, up $49 from 2022-2023.”
Iowa pays about half of the per-pupil rate for 4-year-old preschool students.
Across the U.S., states “spent more than $13.6 billion on preschool in 2023-24, including $257 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars,” the institute’s news release states. “This represents an increase of nearly $2 billion (17%) over the previous year.”
California, New Jersey, New York and Texas accounted for 51% of total preschool spending nationally, research showed.
Were any future funding concerns identified?
The report does raise concerns about how the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal agencies will impact initiatives like Head Start, a government-funded early learning program.
Currently, the Trump administrations is considering a proposed 2026 budget which excludes funding for the decades-old program.
“Nearly 5,000 3- and 4-year-olds in Iowa could lose access to Head Start if federal funding for the program is eliminated,” said Allison Friedman-Krauss, lead author of the report, in the news release. “Increased uncertainty about federal funding underscores the urgency for states to prioritize and expand early childhood investments.”
How can I learn more?
To read the report go to nieer.org/yearbook/2024.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or [email protected]. Follow her on X at @svhernandez, Bluesky at @svhernandez.bsky.social or at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.
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