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The woman shared that a private preschool in the US costs somewhere between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 9 lakh a year for 3-hour classes either three days or five days a week
The preschool classes in the US go on from September till June (Image: Instagram/@sonalbisla)
For many Indian parents, spending lakhs of rupees, that too on just preschool, may sound staggering. But a recent video by an Indian woman, who now lives in the US with her family, has sparked a debate over just how much people in America pay for early education. She shared that she was surprised by an annual tuition fee of up to $9,000, which is around Rs 8.5 lakh, for a programme that runs for just three hours a day.
The content creator, named Sonal Chaudhary, shared her experience on Instagram, revealing that she recently visited a private preschool while exploring options for her two-year-old daughter. During the visit, she was shown around the facility by a staff member, who also explained the daily schedule and shared details about the different programmes available.
In the video, she mentioned that the preschool has two teachers for a group of eight children, which gives it a teacher-to-student ratio of one teacher for every four kids. The programme includes activities like singing, yoga, creative exercises and early-learning activities.
Besides the programme, what truly caught the attention of people was the annual tuition. Sonal shared that the preschool charges around $4,000, which is Rs 3.8 lakh, a year for a two-day-per-week programme. For children attending five days a week, the annual fee goes up to around $9,000, or around Rs 8.5 lakh. The academic session would run from September to late June, with classes taking place from 8:45 AM to 11:45 AM.
Sharing her experience, Sonal wrote, “We recently went to enrol our 2-year-old daughter in preschool, and the annual tuition was approximately $4,000–$9,000, depending on the program. The good part? In most cases, this tuition covers almost everything, with very few additional fees.”
She added, “At first, it felt expensive. But when you look at the teacher-to-student ratio, the facilities, the learning environment, and compare it with average household incomes in the U.S., the cost starts to make more sense.” At the end, she also pointed out that public education in the US is free from kindergarten through Grade 12.
Take a look at the video here
“For Good Education, It Is Worth It”
The video soon sparked a discussion online, with social media users debating whether the preschool fees felt expensive or reasonable in America.
“For a good education, it is worth it,” wrote a user.
“This is very reasonable for annual fees, pls don’t compare everything with INR,” another said.
An individual commented, “People often compare prices, but context matters too. Income, quality of education, and opportunities are all part of the bigger picture. Great explanation! Thanks for explaining it so clearly. Really informative!”
“It’s more in Gurgaon. A good school costs more than 9 LPA,” someone else shared.
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August 07, 2026, 18:45 IST
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