DENVER (KOAA) — Colorado’s Universal Preschool program (UPK) is seeing record demand heading into the next school year, with officials reporting the highest number of applications since the program launched.
State data shows 32,720 applications were submitted for the upcoming program year, marking the largest total in the program’s history.
“We have seen growth year over year,” The deputy director for the UPK program, Glenn Robinson, explained.
By comparison, officials reported 29,954 applications at this time in the 2022–23 cycle, 31,779 in 2024–25, and 31,259 for the current 2025–26 year.
Despite the growth, participation still falls short of "universal" reach. About 71.2% of eligible children are enrolled this year, leaving about 29% not participating.
“Our hope is that we get to 72% by the end of this year, but that’s going to be tough,” Robinson said. “Our five-year goal [is] getting to… 77% uptake by 2030.”
Officials say the program can significantly reduce costs for families.
“One family with one child can expect to save anywhere from $6,000 to $6,300 per year,” Robinson said. “If you can save 6,300 bucks, please, please, please take advantage of the universal preschool program.”
The deadline has passed for the upcoming school year. But Colorado has also quickly risen in national rankings for preschool enrollment, placing third among participating states when it comes to accessibility despite the program’s relatively recent launch.
“We’ve been able to be agile,” Robinson said. “This program being so new… we’ve learned from some lessons of the implementation and we’ve been able to adjust on the fly.”
One major change has been simplifying the application process. Officials reduced the average completion time from about 12 minutes to roughly five minutes, with a focus on mobile accessibility.
“The majority of families, actually over 60% of families, fill out the application via their cellphone,” Robinson said.
User satisfaction has also increased, according to survey data. While earlier years saw fewer than 200 responses annually, more than 3,000 families have now participated, with 92% reporting a positive experience, according to Robinson.
State leaders say they are still working to understand why some families do not enroll, pointing to an ongoing independent evaluation. The program also continues to expand its provider network, with more than 60% of eligible providers participating statewide.
“The more providers that we can get to participate… the higher the uptake,” Robinson said.
Looking ahead, officials plan to maintain a similar application process next year while making further improvements to speed and accessibility.
“We do want to make it easier,” Robinson said, adding that some families could eventually complete applications in a couple of minutes.
The state is also developing a sweeping set of regulatory updates, dubbed the “UPK mega rule,” aimed at addressing feedback from families and providers. Among the changes is a prepayment option to help providers cover upfront costs.
“We’ve heard… certain pain points from providers, certain pain points from families,” Robinson added. “Everything that we’re addressing… is specific to addressing the feedback that we’ve received from the community.”
Robinson also emphasized the broader economic impact of early childhood education, citing long-term research.
“They can expect anywhere from a $7 to a $12 return on investment for every $1 invested into this program,” he said, pointing to outcomes such as higher graduation rates and lifetime earnings. “That’s why we are urging families to absolutely put your child in a quality care situation… and take advantage of universal preschool.”
INFORMATION FROM THE STATE ON UPK:
In the 2022 State Legislative Session, HB22-1295 established the Colorado Universal Preschool Program to offer voluntary, high-quality universal preschool to every Colorado child in the year before kindergarten, as defined by your local school district. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is charged with operating the program to enable families to choose from a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool settings, including licensed community-based programs, school-based programs, and licensed home providers. High-quality preschool has demonstrated positive outcomes for children and families in the short and long-term.
All children in Colorado can register for up to one year, of 15 hours of tuition-free, high-quality preschool in their year before kindergarten, as defined by your local school district, through Colorado’s Universal Pre-K (UPK) Program.
- Families may qualify for more hours based on a number of qualifying factors(opens in new window).
- 3 Year Olds should contact their school district for preschool services.
- Preschool aged children with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) should work with their Special Education Administrative Unit (AU) to enroll.
- Families who choose to send their children to kindergarten on a delayed schedule can still utilize their funding in the year defined by their local school district as the year before kindergarten and then pay for another year of preschool after that. The funding can not be utilized in any other school year than the year before kindergarten as defined by the local school district.
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