By type
Preschools & Early Learning in the Triangle
Programs in the federal survey that stop before first grade: church preschools, Montessori children's houses and early-learning chains.
Funding note: No state scholarship pays for pre-K. Four-year-olds can use NC Pre-K, the Wake Pre-K application or Durham PreK, and working families can use child care subsidy.
17
Schools listed here1
On the 2026-27 Direct Payment list237
Students in the federal survey13
Offer pre-K0
Go through grade 12$7,148
2026-27 Tier 2 award, the band most two-income households fall inBy area
Preschools & Early Learning in Cary, Apex & Morrisville
7 schools · 0 on the Direct Payment list
Browse →Preschools & Early Learning in North Raleigh
5 schools · 0 on the Direct Payment list
Browse →All 17 preschools & early learning
| School | Affiliation | Area | Grades | Direct Payment 2026-27 | Students (federal survey) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Discovery Center 5511 Avent Ferry Rd, Raleigh 27606 | Independent | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 20 |
| Country Garden Montessori School 1418 Mount Pleasant Rd, Willow Spring 27592 | Independent | Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County | PK-K | Not listed | 5 |
| Discovery Child Development Center 11000 Lake Grove Blvd, Morrisville 27560 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | PK-K | Not listed | 5 |
| Guidepost Montessori at Spruce Tree 12600 Spruce Tree Way, Raleigh 27614 | Independent | North Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 21 |
| Kids 'R' Kids (Clayton) 307 Tew Ct, Clayton 27520 | Independent | Clayton, Smithfield & Johnston County | PK-K | Not listed | 22 |
| King's Town Christian Academy 7900 Ten Ten Rd, Raleigh 27603 | Christian | Downtown, West & Southeast Raleigh | K | Not listed | 12 |
| Knowledge Beginnings School 250 Cornerstone Dr, Cary 27519 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | K | Not listed | 10 |
| Little Lambs Learning Center 12200 Bayleaf Church Rd, Raleigh 27614 | Christian | North Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 20 |
| Maracas Montessori 12401 Strickland Rd, Raleigh 27613 | Independent | North Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 12 |
| Montessori Creative Learning School 402 Upchurch St, Apex 27502 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | PK-K | Not listed | 4 |
| Montessori Farm School 2400 Broad St Ste 2, Durham 27704 | Independent | Durham | PK-K | ✓ Listed | 7 |
| Primrose Schools at the Park 405 Crescendo Dr, Morrisville 27560 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | PK-K | Not listed | 17 |
| Renaissance Montessori School of Cary 610 Nottingham Dr, Cary 27511 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | PK-K | Not listed | 39 |
| Rising Stars Private School 3201 Edwards Mill Rd 141, Raleigh 27612 | Independent | North Raleigh | K | Not listed | 8 |
| St. Andrew's Early Childhood Center 3008 Old Raleigh Rd, Apex 27502 | Catholic | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | PK-K | Not listed | 16 |
| St. Philip Lutheran Preschool 7304 Falls Of Neuse Rd, Raleigh 27615 | Christian | North Raleigh | PK-K | Not listed | 8 |
| The Grove School of Cary 2590 Laura Duncan Rd, Cary 27513 | Independent | Cary, Apex & Morrisville | K | Not listed | 11 |
| A ✓ on the Direct Payment column tells you | It does not tell you |
|---|---|
| NCSEAA can send Opportunity Scholarship and ESA+ money to this school for 2026-27 | That a seat is open or that your child will be admitted |
| The award goes to required tuition and fees, up to your tier amount | That the award will cover the full bill |
| The school accepted NCSEAA's testing and audit rules for scholarship students | Whether the school is accredited, which the state table does not show |
Find out which programs your child can use
About two minutes of questions. Then a Raleigh Edu Funding advisor phones you with an estimated tier, the programs that match and the deadlines coming up.