Georgia is the first state with a universal pre-kindergarten program to meet all 10 quality benchmarks set by the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Universal pre-K means that any child who meets age requirements can attend. Under the Georgia Pre-K Program, four-year-olds can attend a program for free, though programs vary in criteria and some have lotteries and waitlists. Around 53% of Georgia four-year-olds are enrolled in a state-funded pre-K program.
Georgia was able to achieve the milestone by investing $97.6 million in early childhood education, some of which went toward creating pay parity between pre-K and K-12 teachers, according to the 2025 State of Preschool Yearbook.
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