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United States Value:
Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
Appears In:
Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
US Value: 48.9%
Top State(s): New Jersey: 67.8%
Bottom State(s): North Dakota: 28.5%
Definition: Percentage of children ages 3-4 who are enrolled in nursery school, preschool or kindergarten
Data Source and Years: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
For many, the path to higher educational attainment starts with early childhood education. There is strong evidence that early childhood education leads not only to higher educational attainment but also contributes to better health and promotes health equity. Children who attend early childhood education typically have reduced special education use, teen births and crime, improved standardized test scores and increased high school graduation.
Early childhood education is often a cost-effective intervention. It is estimated that for every $1 spent on early childhood education results in approximately $4.19 in benefits, mainly from increased earnings. The enrollment rate for early childhood education centers at age 3 in the United States is approximately 40%, considerably lower than rates in many other developed countries.
The percentage of children ages 3-4 who enroll in early childhood education is higher among:
Head Start programs are federally funded services that promote school readiness in children from low-income families. Children participating in Head Start programs are more likely to pursue and complete higher education.
Strategies to increase enrollment in early childhood education include:
The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends implementing high-quality center-based early childhood education programs. These programs promote health equity and are associated with narrower educational achievement gaps, especially for children in low-income or racial and ethnic minority communities.
The National Council on State Legislatures report summarizes legislation enacted at the state level addressing early childhood education from access and quality to workforce development and school readiness.
Healthy People 2030 has a goal to increase the proportion of children who participate in high-quality early childhood education programs.
Barnett, W. Steven, and Jason T. Hustedt. “Improving Public Financing for Early Learning Programs.” Preschool Policy Brief Issue 23. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research, April 2011. https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/24-1.pdf.
Hahn, Robert A., W. Steven Barnett, John A. Knopf, Benedict I. Truman, Robert L. Johnson, Jonathan E. Fielding, Carles Muntaner, Camara Phyllis Jones, Mindy T. Fullilove, and Pete C. Hunt. “Early Childhood Education to Promote Health Equity: A Community Guide Systematic Review.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 22, no. 5 (2016): E1–8. https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000000378.
OECD. Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care. Starting Strong. OECD, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264276116-en.
Ramon, Ismaila, Sajal K. Chattopadhyay, W. Steven Barnett, Robert A. Hahn, and The Community Preventive Services Task Force. “Early Childhood Education to Promote Health Equity: A Community Guide Economic Review.” Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 24, no. 1 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1097/PHH.0000000000000557.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.