Does preschool increase the likelihood that a child will attend college?

Children who attended preschool at the age of 4 are more likely to attend college, according to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study. 

The study of children who attended public Boston preschools from 1997 to 2003 found that those students enrolled in college right after high school at a rate 8.3 percentage points higher than those with similar backgrounds. Former preschool attendees were also more likely to attend college at any time, by 5.4 percentage points. 

Georgetown University’s Center For Research on Children in the United States found similar results among people who attended Tulsa’s universal pre-K program. Those students were 12 percentage points more likely to attend college later on. 

Researchers also found children who enroll in preschool are more likely to enroll in advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses in high school, less likely to fail courses and are more likely to graduate from high school on time.