Most preschool fees are comparable to the high prices charged by daycare centers, though few preschools will cost as much as full-day care for an infant.
Many schools charge interest if the tuition payments are spread out over a period of months.
Parent-run cooperative preschools generally cost less but require more of your time. Fran Brook, a mother of three in Novato, Calif., chose a co-op when she sent her third child to Novato Parents' Nursery School. We also had one evening meeting a month and one or two work Saturdays a year. Brook still had to pay something, but she estimates it was half what a regular school would have cost. What's more, it was a great way to become part of the community.