Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.
Top 3 in Cary
Ranked in the top 3 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Cary.
Best Curriculum
Earned the highest curriculum score in Cary. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.
Best Infant Care
Earned the highest infant care score in Cary. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.
Best Kindergarten Prep
Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Cary. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.
Best Teacher Quality
Earned the highest teacher quality score in Cary. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.
Best Space & Comfort
Earned the highest space and comfort score in Cary. This dimension reflects classroom size, outdoor play areas, and whether parents feel the center is appropriately staffed and uncrowded.
Best Extras
Earned the highest extras score in Cary. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.
Full Ranking Detail
childcarepreschool
Preston Children's Academy is Cary's standout independently owned preschool, holding both a NC 5-Star DCDEE license and NAEYC national accreditation — a dual distinction few centers achieve. Founded in 2004, the center serves infants through pre-K with degreed teachers, low ratios starting at 1:4 for infants, an onsite nutrition program, indoor gymnasium, and a secure campus. Parents consistently praise the warm, communicative staff and the center's ability to build genuine relationships with families.
Safety8.0
Curriculum9.0
Art / Music7.0
Infant care9.0
Kindergarten readiness8.0
Teacher quality9.0
Compassion8.0
Management7.0
Culture8.0
Class sizes8.0
Extracurriculars8.0
What parents say
“Every single staff member is welcoming and caring, takes time to know families, and does a great job at communicating with parents.”
“My daughter has been attending and absolutely loves the teachers. You can tell each teacher loves what they do and cares about each of the kids there.”
“Really helped our daughter prepare for kindergarten — the staff and teachers truly cared about her development.”
Programs & curriculum
Curriculum & approach: Learning for preschool-aged children is fun, engaging, and stimulates all developmental areas. No specific curriculum model (Montessori, Reggio, etc.) is named.
Programs & activities: Hands-on activities, group play, outdoor playgrounds, an AstroTurf field, and an indoor gymnasium for gross motor experiences.
What sets it apart: NAEYC nationally accredited and NC Five-Star rated. Low teacher-to-child ratios, degreed/certified ECE teachers, onsite meals included in tuition, corporate and sibling discounts offered.
Recognition of Excellence — Website Badge
🏆 For Center Directors
Your center has earned independent recognition based on verified parent reviews. You are welcome to display this badge on your website. Paste the snippet below into your site's HTML — it links back to this verified recognition page.
Top 100 in NC
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-100-state.jpg" alt="Top 100 in NC - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 100 in NC</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 100 statewide across all North Carolina licensed childcare centers scored in our 2026 rankings.</span>
</span>
</a>
Top 3 in Cary
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/rank-3-city.jpg" alt="Top 3 in Cary - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Top 3 in Cary</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Ranked in the top 3 overall across all 11 quality dimensions among every licensed childcare center in Cary.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Curriculum
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-curriculum.jpg" alt="Best Curriculum - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Curriculum</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest curriculum score in Cary. This dimension evaluates structured learning, developmental programming, and how well daily activities prepare children for each stage.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Infant Care
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-infant.jpg" alt="Best Infant Care - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Infant Care</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest infant care score in Cary. This dimension focuses on caregiver ratios, responsiveness, feeding and sleep routines, and parent feedback specific to infant rooms.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Kindergarten Prep
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-kinder.jpg" alt="Best Kindergarten Prep - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Kindergarten Prep</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest kindergarten readiness score in Cary. This dimension measures literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skill-building that prepares children for elementary school.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Teacher Quality
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-teacherq.jpg" alt="Best Teacher Quality - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Teacher Quality</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest teacher quality score in Cary. This dimension reflects educator credentials, tenure, consistency, and the depth of praise parents direct at specific staff members.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Space & Comfort
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-crowding.jpg" alt="Best Space & Comfort - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Space & Comfort</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest space and comfort score in Cary. This dimension reflects classroom size, outdoor play areas, and whether parents feel the center is appropriately staffed and uncrowded.</span>
</span>
</a>
Best Extras
<!-- Recognition of Excellence: Preston Children's Academy -->
<a href="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/north-carolina/raleigh/cary/preston-children-s-academy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:flex;align-items:flex-start;gap:16px;padding:18px;background:#FFFBF0;border:1px solid #EDD97A;border-radius:10px;max-width:420px;text-decoration:none;color:inherit;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">
<img src="https://creativemindsmontessori.com/US-wide-childcare-preschool-rankings/badges/dim-extra.jpg" alt="Best Extras - Preston Children's Academy - Cary, NC" width="80" height="80" style="border-radius:8px;flex-shrink:0;" loading="lazy">
<span>
<strong style="display:block;font-size:15px;color:#1A1A18;margin-bottom:5px;">Best Extras</strong>
<span style="font-size:13px;color:#4A4A46;line-height:1.5;">Earned the highest extras score in Cary. This dimension captures standout features — specialty programs, extended hours, unique amenities, or community partnerships that set a center apart.</span>
</span>
</a>
This recognition is awarded independently by Creative Minds Montessori based on publicly available parent reviews and public records. Centers do not pay for or request these rankings. Scores reflect editorial synthesis of verified parent experience — not center marketing materials. Rankings are updated periodically as new reviews are analyzed.
