
Compare 364 child daycare & preschools in Columbus. Average rating: 4.29/5 stars. See top 10 ranked daycares, compare by type, and find the right childcare for your family.
Columbus has 364 licensed child daycare & preschools with 2,364 parent reviews averaging 4.29/5.142 are top-rated with 4.5+ stars — 53% of rated programs, well above average.The highest-rated options cluster around 43221 (avg 4.9 stars), while 43224 has the largest selection (36 programs).Start with our top-10 ranked list below or filter by philosophy.
Ranked using a weighted score that combines Google rating with the number of parent reviews — daycares with more reviews rank higher than those with a high rating but few reviews. Last updated: March 2026.
5150 Reed Rd, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Balanced Family Academy receives unanimous 5-star ratings from parents who praise the exceptional care, communication, and nurturing environment. Parents consistently highlight staff dedication, individualized attention to children, and peace of mind regarding their child's safety and development.
1717 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Balanced Family Academy Clubhouse receives perfect 5/5 ratings from parents who praise exceptional staff care, strong communication, and a welcoming community environment. Parents consistently report feeling confident in their children's safety, development, and well-being at the facility.
1347 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Parents consistently praise Balanced Family Academy (BFA) for exceptional staff who are caring, attentive, and communicative. First-time parents particularly appreciate the daily updates via the CareDay app and visible emotional security their children display. The facility offers quality meals, engaging activities, and a welcoming environment that makes parents feel confident leaving their children in capable hands.
2425 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 186 children
Meadow Park Children's Center receives perfect 5/5 ratings from parents who praise the caring, experienced staff, enriching curriculum centered on play-based learning, and strong communication. Parents highlight the stable environment created by long-tenured teachers, diverse activities, and welcoming community atmosphere.
48 East North Broadway, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Clintonville CRC Kids Club receives universal praise from community members who describe it as a valuable resource offering food pantry services, support programs, and assistance to those in need. Staff and volunteers are consistently highlighted as friendly, helpful, and passionate about serving the community.
7 W Henderson Road, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
CLINTONVILLE CRC KIDS CLUB 2 is a community resource center with exceptional staff and programming that serves diverse populations including families in need, seniors, and those experiencing food insecurity. Parents and community members consistently praise the friendly, passionate staff, fresh produce pantry offerings, and comprehensive support services available to the community.
35 Oakland Park Ave., Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
This facility appears to be a community resource center rather than a traditional daycare, offering pantry services and community support programs. Parents consistently praise the friendly, passionate staff and the quality of fresh produce and assistance provided. Multiple reviewers highlight the organization's significant positive impact on individuals and families in need.
1800 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: -999 children
Parents consistently praise Mary's Little Lamb as an exceptional daycare with outstanding leadership under Ms. Tiffany. Reviews highlight the clean, well-organized facility, caring staff who treat children like family, engaging educational activities, and strong community involvement. Parents report feeling confident leaving their children in this program's care.
5511 N. Hamilton Road, Columbus, OH · Child Daycare & Preschools · Capacity: 152 children
Jolly Tots Too! receives universal praise from parents across all reviews. Parents consistently highlight the caring, experienced staff, small teacher-to-child ratios, on-site nurse, and nurturing environment that supports children's growth from infancy through Pre-K. Families report feeling confident in the quality of care and describe the center as a loving community where children thrive.
4567 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH · Church Daycare · Capacity: -999 children
Our Lady of Bethlehem is a highly regarded religious daycare facility in Columbus, Ohio with universally positive reviews. Parents consistently praise the caring staff, strong academic curriculum, spiritual guidance, and nurturing environment that supports children's development across multiple domains.
Based on 268 daycares with Google ratings in Columbus
Top qualities mentioned across 2,364 reviews, analyzed by AI
Average ratings by facility type in Columbus, based on parent reviews
Columbus zip codes ranked by average daycare rating
| Zip Code | Daycares | Avg. Rating | Top Rated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43221 | 7 | 4.9 | 5 | |
| 43220 | 19 | 4.75 | 9 | |
| 43214 | 19 | 4.75 | 9 | |
| 43240 | 6 | 4.7 | 2 | |
| 43235 | 17 | 4.7 | 3 | |
| 43201 | 8 | 4.64 | 3 | |
| 43215 | 16 | 4.63 | 7 | |
| 43209 | 16 | 4.62 | 5 | |
| 43212 | 8 | 4.56 | 3 | |
| 43224 | 36 | 4.35 | 12 |
Capacity distribution of daycares in Columbus (12–312 children)
Small
up to 30 children
8
Medium
31–75 children
64
Large
76–150 children
64
Very Large
150+ children
11
Highest rated daycares in Columbus based on parent reviews
5150 Reed Rd, Columbus, OH
Balanced Family Academy receives unanimous 5-star ratings from parents who praise the exceptional care, communication, and nurturing environment. Parents consistently highlight staff dedication, individualized attention to children, and peace of mind regarding their child's safety and development.
1717 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH
Balanced Family Academy Clubhouse receives perfect 5/5 ratings from parents who praise exceptional staff care, strong communication, and a welcoming community environment. Parents consistently report feeling confident in their children's safety, development, and well-being at the facility.
1347 West Fifth Avenue, Columbus, OH
Parents consistently praise Balanced Family Academy (BFA) for exceptional staff who are caring, attentive, and communicative. First-time parents particularly appreciate the daily updates via the CareDay app and visible emotional security their children display. The facility offers quality meals, engaging activities, and a welcoming environment that makes parents feel confident leaving their children in capable hands.
2425 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH
Meadow Park Children's Center receives perfect 5/5 ratings from parents who praise the caring, experienced staff, enriching curriculum centered on play-based learning, and strong communication. Parents highlight the stable environment created by long-tenured teachers, diverse activities, and welcoming community atmosphere.
48 East North Broadway, Columbus, OH
Clintonville CRC Kids Club receives universal praise from community members who describe it as a valuable resource offering food pantry services, support programs, and assistance to those in need. Staff and volunteers are consistently highlighted as friendly, helpful, and passionate about serving the community.
7 W Henderson Road, Columbus, OH
CLINTONVILLE CRC KIDS CLUB 2 is a community resource center with exceptional staff and programming that serves diverse populations including families in need, seniors, and those experiencing food insecurity. Parents and community members consistently praise the friendly, passionate staff, fresh produce pantry offerings, and comprehensive support services available to the community.
Navigating childcare options in Columbus, Ohio, involves exploring a diverse landscape of 364 facilities, ranging from large centers to intimate home-based programs. Parents frequently highlight clean environments and safe settings as key priorities, often noting their children's excitement to attend. With a standout neighborhood in the 43221 zip code offering exceptional ratings, families have multiple pathways to find a supportive community for their little ones.
Based on Google reviews, daycares in Columbus have an average rating of 4.29 out of 5 across 268 rated facilities, with 53% scoring 4.5 stars or higher. Church Daycare facilities lead with an average of 4.85 stars. Our analysis covers 2,364 parent reviews. Parents in Columbus most frequently praise daycares for clean facility, safe environment, and children excited to attend.
When choosing a daycare in Columbus, consider visiting facilities in person, checking their licensing status, and asking about staff-to-child ratios, daily routines, and safety policies.
Showing 364 results
Kids Zone Learning Center has sharply divided reviews. Positive reviews praise new management, cleanliness, new equipment, caring staff, and a happy learning environment. Negative reviews report poor communication, failure to honor transportation promises, inadequate supervision, lack of structured activities, administrative errors, inconsistent discipline, and alleged neglect of basic care needs.
Precious Jewels Early Learning Center in Columbus receives mixed reviews. Positive reviews praise the caring staff, Christian environment, academic preparation, and flexibility. However, two parents reported serious concerns about physical discipline and inadequate investigation of alleged incidents.
Bright Minds Daycare has highly polarized reviews. Positive reviews praise the caring owners, qualified teachers, educational programs including language instruction, and homework help. However, multiple negative reviews allege serious safety and disciplinary concerns including physical punishment with pencils, forced napping practices, and harassment allegations.
Great Beginnings Child Care LLC receives mixed reviews. Positive reviews praise the welcoming staff, clean facility, and teacher quality. However, multiple parents report serious concerns including alleged physical abuse by a teacher named Mrs. Hanne, unsafe bus driving practices, and claims that management failed to address complaints appropriately.
Moonlight Child Care receives mixed reviews with ratings ranging from 1-5 stars. Positive reviewers praise the owner, teachers, flexible hours, and child development outcomes, while negative reviewers cite staff turnover, inattentiveness, safety concerns, and communication issues.
Shining Stars has mixed reviews with strong polarization between parents. Some parents report their children are happy, learning well, and thriving, while others cite serious concerns including staff inattentiveness, high turnover, potty training issues, injuries, lost belongings, and communication problems with management.
Children's Academy in Columbus receives mixed reviews with ratings ranging from 1-5 stars. Most parents praise the friendly, caring staff and strong developmental support, while a smaller number report concerns about teacher consistency, child safety incidents, and classroom management.
One parent highlights the quality staff and learning environment, while another describes the facility as a cool place. Conversely, a single review reports serious safety concerns, including unsupervised children, visible injuries like bite marks and bruises, and an incident involving a child cutting their own hair with scissors.
Feedback for Aminatas Daycare LLC is mixed, with one parent highlighting a clean, welcoming environment where their child enjoys attending. Conversely, other reviewers report severe concerns regarding high child-to-staff ratios, yelling from teachers, and significant regulatory violations.
Some parents highlight the center's hands-on staff and engaging activities, describing the environment as wonderful and highly recommended. Conversely, other reviewers report negative interactions with leadership and front-desk personnel, citing rudeness, fabricated accusations, and concerns over high pricing.
Mattie B. James Center receives mixed reviews with significant variation in parent experiences. While some parents praise the learning environment and staff, particularly director Morgan, others report serious concerns about staff professionalism and alleged inappropriate conduct. The facility appears to have undergone changes in management that some parents feel negatively impacted quality.
One parent describes the facility as terrible, citing poor cleanliness and noting that children are frequently ill.
One parent describes Humble Beginnings as offering a great space and wonderful service to the southside, while another reviewer left a brief, unclear complaint stating it is 'so currie'.
One parent describes the staff as beyond rude and passive-aggressive, while another reports that the owner was unprofessional and ejected their children from the facility without explanation.
One parent questions the legitimacy of the business, stating they were unable to access services and found the situation strange. This limited feedback highlights confusion regarding the center's operational status.
One parent inquires about the enrollment process without providing feedback on the facility itself. No specific opinions on care quality or staff are offered in the single review available.
One parent expresses strong appreciation for the staff, while another reports that the center is closed and unreachable. The few reviews so far present conflicting experiences regarding accessibility and staff quality.
Opinions on the center are sharply divided, with one parent describing it as a very nice place for children while another alleges severe abuse, including witnessing a staff member throw their son. These conflicting accounts highlight a significant discrepancy in the quality of care reported by different families.
One parent describes the center as severely understaffed, with high child-to-teacher ratios leading to unsupervised play and frequent staff calls for early pickup. The reviewer alleges that incidents are met with blame-shifting toward children and criticizes the director's management style and focus.
One parent reports severe safety concerns, citing aggressive driving behavior from a bus driver including tailgating, swerving, and honking, while also noting that complaints go unanswered due to staff failing to answer the phone.
One parent highlights the friendly staff and a dedicated infant teacher who effectively eases adjustment challenges for young children. The provider is praised for keeping parents informed about classroom activities and meals through an app and direct communication.
A+ Academy Child in Columbus receives mixed reviews with significant concerns about staff conduct. While some parents praise teachers as amazing, multiple parents report serious issues including staff rudeness, poor teamwork, and allegations of physical discipline.
Creative Minds Learning Academy has highly polarized reviews. Positive reviews praise academic progress, teaching quality, and clean facilities, while negative reviews report serious concerns including alleged physical abuse, unprofessional staff behavior, billing irregularities, and failure to address parental complaints.
While several parents highlight the facility's cleanliness, affordable pricing, and engaging infant care, one reviewer reports severe environmental issues including inconsistent heating and poorly prepared meals. The majority of feedback praises the staff's warmth and the director's accessibility, contrasting sharply with one account of a cold, sickly environment.
No Place Like Home of Columbus receives highly polarized reviews. Most parents (7 five-star reviews) praise the caring staff, child development, and long-term family relationships. However, two negative reviews raise serious concerns about owner conduct, financial practices, safety issues including unexplained injuries and food allergy negligence, and dismissive management.
One parent describes a negative experience involving rude management, teachers sleeping on the job, and excessive screen time instead of planned activities. Another review characterizes the center as unprofessional and inferior to other options they have tried.
One parent praises the organized environment and caring staff, while two others report serious safety hazards involving unsupervised children entering traffic and unprofessional administrative handling of enrollment inquiries.
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