Daycare directory · Tulsa, OK

Daycare in Tulsa.

Published ·Updated

420+ licensed providers across Tulsa, with verified 2026 tuition ranges, parent reviews, and a clearer path to subsidies and free Pre-K seats. Always free for families. Oklahoma's universal Pre-K means many four-year-old seats are free at participating daycares.

420+
Verified providers
$700
Starting monthly tuition
3 mo
Median infant waitlist
Browse Tulsa daycares → Estimate your cost
Tulsa skyline along the Arkansas River
2026 cost overview

What daycare actually costs in Tulsa.

Tuition ranges are full-time, center-based monthly rates pulled from 420+ Tulsa providers and cross-checked against Oklahoma the Human Services Child Care Services.

Infant (6 wk – 15 mo)
Infant care
$850 to $1,350
per month, full-time

Midtown and Brookside centers price at the top of Tulsa's range. South Tulsa and family child cares across north and east Tulsa often come in $150 to $250 below.

Toddler (15 mo – 3 yr)
Toddler care
$750 to $1,150
per month, full-time

Oklahoma licensing shifts ratios at 24 months. Three-Star Plus and NAEYC-accredited centers in Tulsa typically charge $100 to $200 above the median for the higher staffing.

Preschool (3 – 5 yr)
Preschool
$700 to $1,050
per month, full-time

Tulsa Public Schools and many community-based daycares participate in Oklahoma's universal Pre-K (one of the longest-running in the country), funded through the state's Early Childhood Program.

Sources: Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Care Services, Oklahoma Child Care Resource & Referral, Child Care Aware of America 2025 Oklahoma state report, DaycareSquare Tulsa operator survey (Q1 2026). Updated May 2026.

For a deeper breakdown by neighborhood, infant ratio, local subsidy program, and quality tier, see our Tulsa daycare cost page.

Featured providers

A sample of Tulsa daycares.

Eight illustrative examples of local daycares. A searchable directory of verified, state-licensed providers is rolling out — these examples show the local landscape for now.

Cherry Street Children's Center
NAEYC accredited
Cherry Street Children's Center
Cherry Street · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,300/mo
Brookside Learning Academy
Premium listing
Brookside Learning Academy
Brookside · 12 wk – 5 yr
From $1,200/mo
Midtown Montessori Tulsa
Montessori
Midtown Montessori Tulsa
Midtown · 18 mo – 6 yr
From $1,250/mo
Jenks Early Learning
Three-Star Plus
Jenks Early Learning
Jenks · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,050/mo
Broken Arrow Christian Daycare
Faith-based
Broken Arrow Christian Daycare
Broken Arrow · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $950/mo
South Tulsa KinderCare
Premium listing
South Tulsa KinderCare
South Tulsa · 6 wk – 5 yr
From $1,000/mo
Owasso Family Childcare
Home-based
Owasso Family Childcare
Owasso · 6 mo – 5 yr
From $900/mo
Tulsa Public Schools Pre-K
Free Pre-K
Tulsa Public Schools Pre-K
Multiple sites · 4 yr
From $0/mo (free)
See all 420+ Tulsa daycares →
By neighborhood

Daycare in your neighborhood.

Tulsa tuition can vary by hundreds of dollars per month across a few miles. These are the neighborhoods with the most active providers in our directory.

Midtown
62 daycares · From $1,100
Brookside
44 daycares · From $1,050
Cherry Street
32 daycares · From $1,050
South Tulsa
78 daycares · From $900
Jenks
48 daycares · From $950
Broken Arrow
84 daycares · From $900
Owasso
42 daycares · From $900
Bixby
38 daycares · From $950
Sand Springs
28 daycares · From $800
North Tulsa
44 daycares · From $750
Riverside
32 daycares · From $1,000
Tulsa Hills
30 daycares · From $900

A short, honest guide to Tulsa daycare.

Tulsa offers one of the most accessible daycare markets among major American cities, in large part because Oklahoma was an early national leader in funding universal Pre-K. Many four-year-old seats are free at Tulsa Public Schools and partner daycares, which lets families spend more on infant and toddler care, where rates are also moderate by national standards. Midtown and Brookside set the upper end; South Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and Jenks sit in the middle; family child care across north and east Tulsa rounds out the most affordable end of the market.

Oklahoma licensing and ratios

Oklahoma requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:6 for toddlers, and 1:12 for ages 3 to 5 in licensed centers. The state's voluntary Reaching for the Stars (Three-Star) rating system pushes accredited programs to lower ratios. NAEYC-accredited centers in Tulsa frequently operate at 1:3 for infants. Every legal daycare in Oklahoma is licensed by Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Care Services and listed on Oklahoma's online child care locator (childcarefind.ok.gov). Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that source monthly.

Source: Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Care Services, 2025-2026 licensing data.

Where Tulsa parents tend to overpay

  • Premium centers when a comparable program a few neighborhoods over costs 15 to 25 percent less.
  • Add-on enrichment fees (music, language, sports) that quietly raise the monthly bill after enrollment.
  • Annual registration and supply fees that are not disclosed on the website. Ask for the all-in monthly figure before you tour.

Financial help

Working families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for the Oklahoma Child Care Subsidy. Oklahoma's universal Pre-K, one of the longest-running in the country, offers free part-day or full-day seats for four-year-olds at hundreds of Tulsa Public Schools and partner daycares. All families can use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and a Dependent Care FSA. Our tax credit explainer walks through the math at common Tulsa income levels.

Before your first tour, download the free DaycareSquare comparison checklist and the tour questions list for a side-by-side scoring sheet.

Related reading for Tulsa families

Frequently asked

Daycare in Tulsa.

How much does daycare cost in Tulsa?
Full-time center-based daycare in Tulsa runs $700 to $1,350 per month in 2026, depending on age and neighborhood. Premium centers cluster at the top of the range; family child care and moderate neighborhoods sit at the lower end.
How long is the waitlist for Tulsa daycare?
Our 2026 Tulsa operator survey found a median infant waitlist of three months. Flagship centers in the most in-demand neighborhoods can stretch longer. Toddler and preschool seats commonly turn over within one to three months across the city.
Who licenses daycares in Oklahoma?
Every legal daycare in Oklahoma is licensed by Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child Care Services. Every provider in our directory is cross-checked against that database monthly.
What is the staff-to-child ratio in Oklahoma daycares?
Oklahoma requires a 1:4 infant ratio, 1:6 for toddlers, and 1:12 for ages 3 to 5 in licensed centers. The state's voluntary Reaching for the Stars (Three-Star) rating system pushes accredited programs to lower ratios. NAEYC-accredited centers in Tulsa frequently operate at 1:3 for infants.
Can I get help paying for daycare in Tulsa?
Working families earning under 85 percent of state median income may qualify for the Oklahoma Child Care Subsidy. Oklahoma's universal Pre-K, one of the longest-running in the country, offers free part-day or full-day seats for four-year-olds at hundreds of Tulsa Public Schools and partner daycares. All families can also use the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and a Dependent Care FSA. Read our tax credit explainer.
How do I tour a Tulsa daycare?
Use our free tour questions list and the DaycareSquare comparison checklist to score every tour on the same 27 questions. Most Tulsa centers offer in-person tours weekday mornings.
Keep going

Useful next steps.

Statewide

Daycare in Oklahoma

Costs, licensing, and subsidy programs across all of Oklahoma, not just Tulsa.

View state page → Free tool

Tulsa cost calculator

Plug in your ZIP, child age, and care type. Get your personal monthly range in about sixty seconds.

Try the calculator → Free download

Comparison checklist

Twenty-seven questions to ask at every tour, plus a side-by-side scoring sheet. PDF.

Get the checklist →
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Get matched with licensed daycares near you.

Tell us your child’s age and when you need care. We’ll send a shortlist of nearby licensed options — checked against state licensing data. Most centers keep waitlists, so the earlier you reach out, the better your odds. No spam, no obligation.