How many licensed daycares are in Columbia?

There are 187 licensed child care providers in Columbia.

What percentage of Columbia daycares have high quality ratings?

59% of Columbia daycares hold 4 or 5 stars on Childery's composite rating, compared to 63% statewide in Maryland.

What types of childcare are available in Columbia?

72 center-based, 99 home-based providers operate in Columbia.

How do Columbia daycares score on teaching quality compared to the rest of Maryland?

Columbia daycares average 2.9 out of 5 stars on Childery's Process score (teaching quality, QRIS ratings, and accreditations), compared to a Maryland statewide average of 2.9.

Is there financial help for childcare in Maryland?

Maryland offers childcare subsidies and assistance programs for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, and how to apply.

Childery

Some of the Best Daycares in Columbia, MD

Of Columbia's 187 daycares, 110 (59%) hold a 4 or 5 star rating from Childery, below Maryland's statewide rate of 63%. Locally, providers average 2.9 stars on Process inputs (state QRIS, NAEYC and other accreditation, federal Head Start CLASS scores) and 4.9 stars on Structural inputs (state regulatory baseline plus provider-level licensing data), compared with Maryland averages of 2.9 on Process and 4.9 on Structural.

The local market includes 72 centers, 1 group child care home, and 98 family child care homes.

Listed alphabetically below are some of the highest-rated providers in Columbia. Childery ranks providers using publicly auditable inputs: state QRIS scores, NAEYC-aligned ratios and group sizes, and federal CCDBG training coverage. See the Maryland methodology page for the full breakdown.

187

Daycares

110

4 or 5 Stars

Rating Distribution in Columbia

72(39%)

38(20%)

76(41%)

1(1%)

0(0%)

Mean rating across all displayed daycares in Columbia: 4.0 (Sample of 187).

Process rating across all displayed daycares in Columbia: 2.9 (Sample of 127).

Structural rating across all displayed daycares in Columbia: 4.9 (Sample of 187).

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Some of the Best Daycares in Columbia

All Aboard Early Learning Center North

Atholton Adventist Academy

Columbia, MD

★★★★★ 5 Stars

Bauder Education Center at Long Reach

Celebration Christian Academy

Cradlerock Children's Center

Columbia, MD

★★★★★ 5 Stars

Frequently Asked Questions

How many licensed daycares are in Columbia?: There are 187 licensed child care providers in Columbia.
What percentage of Columbia daycares have high quality ratings?: 59% of Columbia daycares hold 4 or 5 stars on Childery's composite rating, compared to 63% statewide in Maryland.
What types of childcare are available in Columbia?: 72 center-based, 99 home-based providers operate in Columbia.
How do Columbia daycares score on teaching quality compared to the rest of Maryland?: Columbia daycares average 2.9 out of 5 stars on Childery's Process score (teaching quality, QRIS ratings, and accreditations), compared to a Maryland statewide average of 2.9.
Is there financial help for childcare in Maryland?: Maryland offers childcare subsidies and assistance programs for income-eligible families. See income limits, waitlist status, and how to apply.Childcare subsidies in Maryland