Preschool Portland List 🏫| The Best Portland Preschools

If you’re moving to Portland with preschool aged children, you are probably wondering where the best Portland preschools are. Portland has some excellent preschools for your children, focusing on early learning . Portland is a safe, clean, and beautiful city, so you and your children will feel safe downtown or in one of Portland’s inviting neighborhoods. 

One of the coolest things about Portland is its strong commitment to early childhood development. Back in 2020, Multnomah County (where Portland is located) had a ballot measure called Preschool for All. Multnomah County overwhelmingly supported the ballot, which allows three and four year olds to receive free preschool. Because of this, many Multnomah County children are in a preschool program.

What Is Portland Like?

Portland is known as the "City of Roses" because it has the perfect climate for growing roses, which are featured at the annual Portland Rose Festival. An outdoor lover’s paradise, Portland has many picturesque parks and gardens, including Washington Park, the historic International Rose Test Garden, and the Portland Japanese Garden. Wilderness Trail in nearby Forest Park is the nation’s longest forested urban trail. People also love being close to Lake Oswego.

Portland is very bike-friendly as well. Portland is an unconventional city, with diverse influences. A variety of cultural and art festivals, music concerts, live music venues, bars, theaters, and auditoriums provide plenty of entertainment options. Cultural highlights include the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Chinatown Museum, and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. 

Portland is often called the "beer capital of the world". It has more local breweries and varieties of local beer than anywhere else in the country. Dozens of annual beer festivals showcase Portland’s breweries. Portland is also famous for its food carts, which you’ll find everywhere in the city. Portland is a sustainable, innovative city with a nurturing environment, an excellent bus and city train system, and tax-free shopping. 

Some of Portland’s top attractions are the Oregon Zoo and the Pittock Mansion. For sports fans, the Portland Trail Blazers (NBA basketball), the Portland Timbers (MLS soccer), and the Portland Thorns FC (NWSL soccer) make their homes in Portland.

Finding a good Portland preschool is important for your child’s early educational development. Portland has a wide range of public and private Portland preschools with a variety of educational options. Researching schools in the area online and gathering detailed information, as well as speaking with parents in your community, are great ways to discover what schools are available.

Our list of the top Portland preschools can help you narrow down your choices to the preschools that best fit your wants and needs for your children. Here is our list of the best Portland preschools.

Best Portland Preschools

Whether you're looking for a preschool in Southwest Portland, Southeast Portland, or beyond, you're bound to find one, and determine which preschool Portland offers is right for you and your family. 

International School of Portland | Best of the Portland Preschools for Language Immersion

• Ages: Preschool through 5th grade
• Address: 2305 S Water Ave, Portland, OR 97201
• Phone: (503) 226-2496
• Enrollment: 400
• Student/Teacher ratio: 9:1
• Tuition: $13,870 – $22,850/yr

The International School of Portland (ISP) has an Early Childhood Education program for ages 3 to 5. ISP uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), which is designed for student-led inquiry. Children are encouraged to explore local and global issues, think critically, and take responsibility for their learning. They are culturally responsive and develop knowledge and skills that develop conceptual understanding. 

PreK and LowK students at ISP study four themes each year, continually building on previous knowledge. Known for its excellent language school, the teachers are native speakers of their immersion languages, holding bachelor’s degrees and possessing years of experience in early childhood education. 

All students are immersed in a track language from day one. They acquire a second language naturally because at least 80% of their day is spent immersing themselves in the language. Language is taught within the framework of its cultural context. The class sizes at ISP are small, allowing children more individual attention. 

The staff is friendly and encouraging, providing an environment where children can grow and succeed. ISP believes children should be allowed to explore, discover, question, and problem solve, and their learning environments reflect that. The program is geared toward opportunities for child-initiated play, hands-on learning, and learning between teachers and students. 

Through joy, play, and exploration, students ask questions as they build and test theories to help make sense of the world and the special place around them. Students attend art, music, and PE classes once a week as part of the curriculum, taught by experienced teachers. This is one of the best Portland preschools for dual language.

Montessori Children's House | The Best of Montessori Portland Preschools

• Ages: 16 months to 6 years
• Address: 3626 S Bond Ave, Portland, OR 97239
• Phone: (503) 360-1179
• Enrollment: 77
• Student/Teacher ratio: 10:1
• Tuition: $15,285 for full-day Primary (3-4 years old)

Montessori Children’s House (MCH) uses the Montessori curriculum, which is dedicated to developing the whole child, allowing students to acquire the skills to reach their full potential in life. MCI provides a strong emotional, behavioral, and moral foundation for children, so they can become motivated, active, and independent learners. The teachers at MCH are experts in child development, with the skills and knowledge to guide children toward independent learning, so they can reach their unique potential. 

Children are given the freedom to engage and create in their own learning experience, supported by the teacher. MCH learning environments are designed to meet the needs of each child’s stage of development. MCH stands against racism, honoring human diversity, making it an inclusive preschool that welcomes and encourages children of all races and colors. 

The school partners with families to develop children who are morally, emotionally, and behaviorally prepared for the real world. The curriculum includes academics, leadership, self-discipline, responsibility, independence, and initiative, which are often introduced as adults. But here, they believe having the resources early will help with engaging children with hands-on, self-paced, collaborative, and joyful experiences. 

MCH provides a safe environment where children can pursue things that pique their curiosity and stimulate learning. Daily physical activity includes walking, climbing, running, jumping, balancing, climbing steps, and more. You can visit or set up a tour on their schedule for your first time meeting the team of teachers.

Portland Preschool for the Arts | Arts Based Learning for Children

• Ages: 3-5 year olds 
• Address: 4011, 4707 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
• Phone: (503) 957-4915
• Enrollment: contact school
• Student/Teacher ratio: 8:1
• Tuition: $249 - $905 weekly (from 1 to 5 days a week)

Portland Preschool of the Arts is an arts-based preschool for 3-5 year olds. Their philosophy is that school should be fun and engaging, promoting a lifelong love of learning. Their child-focused, creative approach, constructive, exploration and discovery-based, gives students opportunities to explore, follow the ideas that strike them, learn from their mistakes, and take pride in their accomplishments. 

They cultivate curiosity with rich imagination-based play that fosters creativity, concentration, openness, and social understanding. The innate curiosity in each child drives their interest in understanding the world and their place in it. Portland Preschool for the Arts promotes self-confidence, enabling children to see value in themselves as individuals and increasing their likelihood of success in education and forming more meaningful connections with their community. 

School activities include play-based artmaking, discovery & experimentation time, group activity time, and educational field trips. It’s commonly known as one of the best Portland preschools.

Cedar Hills Kindergarten & Preschool | Inspiring Children Through Play Based Learning 

• Ages: 3 to 5 years old
• Address: 11695 SW Park Way, Portland, OR 97225
• Phone: (503) 519-8871
• Enrollment: 76
• Student/Teacher ratio: 4:1
• Tuition: $270 - $675 per month (2 to 5 days)

Cedar Hills Kindergarten & Preschool provides a safe, nurturing, and flexible learning environment designed to develop a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. As one of the top-rated Portland preschools, our teachers provide children with the time and freedom necessary to express and explore their ideas, constructing meaning in a fun and engaging way year-round. 

Their emergent curriculum incorporates meaningful, playful inquiry, active exploration of diverse materials and experiences, development of self-regulation skills, and collaborative critical thinking. Cedar Hills’ art studios provide children opportunities to experiment with an array of art media and employ authentic tools and techniques. Their teachers are trained and experienced and collaborate with parents to enrich each child’s experience.

Children enrolled are divided into 2, 3, and 4-year-old classes. Each class curriculum is appropriate for the age group. Children engage in art, sensory play, block play, music & movement, science exploration, dramatic play, writing, and more. The outdoor playground and garden let kids run, play, and have fun. The preschool classes participate in a variety of field trips throughout the year.

Youngset Preschool | Flexible Play Based Montessori Curriculum 

• ages: 3-5 years old
• Address: 1838 SW Jefferson St, Portland, OR 97201
• Phone: (971) 238-6157
• Enrollment: 32
• Student/Teacher ratio: 4:1
• Tuition: $260 - $650 a month (from 2 to 5 days)

Youngset provides a flexible two-year preschool program for children ages 3-5 years old. They offer a rich learning environment that encourages intellectual development. The play-based curriculum is designed to build on a child’s natural curiosity. They encourage children to explore their own interests in a warm, caring, and child-centered environment. 

Children learn important social skills through play and relationships within the classroom, preparing them socially, emotionally, and academically to succeed in Kindergarten. Youngset asks each family to work with their trained teachers about 6-9 hours a month to enhance the child’s preschool experience. The school is divided into a Junior Classroom (for children aged 3 and 4) and a Senior Classroom (for children aged 4 and 5). Although it's a small school, many consider it the best preschool Portland has to offer.

The Workshop is an additional space designed for crafts and imaginative play, and the outside playground is where children run, jump, and play in all weather, rain or shine. The indoor gym provides scoot bikes, basketball hoops, tumbling mats, and other activities. Youngest also offers a variety of enrichment events throughout the year, such as Portrait Drawing/Painting, Music Together, and Puppet Show. 

Rose City Neighborhood Preschool | Enriching Young Minds Through Play and Exploration

• Grades: 3 to 4 years
• Address: 5830 NE Alameda St, Portland, OR 97213
• Phone: 
• Enrollment: 205
• Student/Teacher ratio: 15:1
• Tuition: $243 (3-year-olds) - $255 (4-year-olds)

Rose City is committed to enriching young minds through play and exploration. Their curriculum is designed around helping children learn social and emotional skills, build knowledge, and develop cognitive abilities through play. Children are encouraged to wonder, question, test ideas, make connections, collaborate, problem solve, communicate, reflect, and grow through self-chosen activities. 

Rose City believes that when children play, they are in a relaxed state of mind, which is when children's learning happens best. Teachers enable children to play a significant role in their learning journey by following each child’s interests to develop and build social and emotional skills. When children make mistakes, these are used as learning opportunities. 

Rose City celebrates each child’s unique set of experiences and perspectives in the classroom, and teachers collaborate with families to create a rich learning environment. It’s one of the best Portland preschools.

Portland Preschools FAQ

What Is the Best Preschool in Portland?

There are a number of highly rated Portland preschools. Some of the top schools include the International School of Portland, Cedar Hills Kindergarten & Preschool, and Portland Waldorf School, which are popular among interested families.

Does Portland Have Good Preschools? 

Yes. Portland has some of the best preschools in the state of Oregon.

How Many Preschools Are There in Portland?

Portland has over 80 preschools.

Map of Portland Preschools

Looking at Portland Preschools and Moving? Let Us Help!

If you’ve found the best preschool Portland has for you and your kids, and you’re moving to the Portland area, you need a top-rated company to help. At PDX Movers, we can assist with all of your relocation needs. From local moving to long distance relocation and storage, our friendly Portland movers will make your life easier! Give us a call at 503-746-8795 to get started on a free quote.