Pre-k national demo

A snapshot of the long-term impacts of universal prekindergarten

If the United States were to invest in a public, voluntary, high-quality universal prekindergarten program starting in 2016, what would its impacts be over time? Toggle between the buttons to visualize the different impacts of universal prekindergarten programs across the U.S. or click on a state to learn more about the program in that state.

Net Benefits Per Capita, 2050 Ratio of Benefits to Costs, 2050 Years to Break Even

This study looks to quantify the long-term benefits and costs of investing in a high-quality universal prekindergarten available to all three- and four-year olds across the United States. But before delving into the report, use the interactives below to explore how a universal prekindergarten would affect the nation or even your state.

Who would participate?

Currently, across the United States, only 17 percent of three- and four-year-olds (1,336,695 children) participate in state-sponsored prekindergarten, and another 38 percent attend Head Start or private preschool. Unfortunately, the quality of these programs varies significantly across and even within states, which means that preschoolers do not always experience the same benefits or long-term effects. If a universal program were enacted and fully phased in by 2017, 86 percent of three- and four-year-olds (6,960,916 children) would be enrolled in prekindergarten, benefiting from a high-quality early childhood education.

What are the benefits?

Research has established that high-quality prekindergarten education can generate significant long-run benefits for program participants, their families, and even other non-participants. For example, longitudinal studies have shown that, aside from improved educational achievement, children who have attended a prekindergarten program have spent less time in special education and had lower grade retention rates. Program participants also experience less child maltreatment and reduced crime, smoking, and depression rates. In addition, both participants and their parents have higher projected earnings, which subsequently increases government tax revenue.

If a universal prekindergarten program were to start in 2016, by 2050, there would be over $304 billion in total benefits for the U.S. In 2050, that amounts to savings of $748.51 per capita. How do these total benefits break down? $200.41 per person is attributed to savings to government, $281.81 per person comes from increased compensation, and $266.27 is accounted for by savings to each individual from better health and less crime.

What are the costs?

Currently, the U.S. spends an average of $45 per capita per year on preschool programs, special education services, and Head Start. In 2017, when a universal prekindergarten program is fully phased in, it would take an investment of $79 more per capita per year to maintain a high-quality prekindergarten program.

There are three main costs associated with a high-quality universal prekindergarten program: the cost of the program, increased high school attendance, and increased college attendance. The program itself is based on Chicago’s comprehensive high-quality Child Parent Center half day program, and thus, the costs take into account the multitude of services that are provided at the Child Parent Center offset by the current spending on similar early childhood education programs as to not double count expenditures. Because studies have shown that students who attend prekindergarten have higher high school completion rates and are more likely to attend college, these usage costs are also factored into the total cost of a universal prekindergarten program.

In 2050, these costs add up to $35 billion, or $84.54 per capita. $74.27 per capita is attributed to program costs, $2.35 comes from increased high school usage per person, and the remaining $7.92 per person is accounted for by increased college attendance.

How do the benefits compare to the costs?

If a high-quality universal prekindergarten program were to start in 2016 and be fully phased in by the end of 2017, the program would require $26 billion in additional taxpayer dollars. Over time, the cost would eventually grow to include the cost of additional high school and college usage. But in just 8 years, by 2024, the benefits of the program would outstrip the costs. By 2050, there would be more than $304 billion in total benefits compared to merely $35 billion in total costs, yielding net benefits of $270 billion. By 2050, for every dollar invested in a universal program, there would be $8.9 in returns.

How do the impacts compare across states?