Mills College Childrens School
Located on 135 lush acres in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Mills College Children`s School has been a model for excellence in child-centered education for more than 85 years. The oldest laboratory school on the West Coast and part of the renowned School of Education at Mills, the Children`s School serves children from age 010 in three developmentally appropriate programs: Infant/Toddler Preschool K5 Elementary School
Quick Stats (2022)
- Top Ranked CA School
- Grades: Kindergarten-5
- Students: 148 students
- Yearly Tuition: $16,349
- Acceptance rate: 85%
- Average class size: 20 students
- Application Deadline: Jan. 15 / Feb. 10 / rolling
Top Rankings
Mills College Childrens School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for:
Category
Attribute
Advanced Degrees
School History
School Overview
School Membership(s)School Assoc.
Religious Affiliation
Grades Offered
Grades Kindergarten-5
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Learning Programs Supported
Our school supports a wide range of learners within a mainstream setting.
Year Founded
1926
Summer School Offered
Yes
School Calendar
School Calendar
View the Mills College Childrens School yearly calendar below.
Student Body
Total Students
148 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
54%
State avg.: 48%
Students by Grade

Academics and Faculty
Total Classroom Teachers
5 teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
30:1
National avg.: 13:1
% Faculty w/Advanced Degree
99%
Average Class Size
20 students
List of Courses Offered
Matriculation DataMatric. Data
Classroom Dress Code
Casual
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Admission Deadline
Jan. 15 / Feb. 10 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
$16,349
Tuition Notes
Tuition ranges from $8,433 to $19,096, depending on the program and pick-up time required.
% on Financial Aid
50%
Average Financial Aid Grant
$8,000
Acceptance Rate
85%
National avg.: 85%
Admissions Director
Whitney Walker
Extracurriculars
Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.
4 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.
Club or Organization:
Cooking, Legos
Arts and Music Programs:
Hip Hop Dance, Puppetry/drama
Cooking, Legos
Arts and Music Programs:
Hip Hop Dance, Puppetry/drama
School Notes
From its inception in 1926, Mills College Children`s School (MCCS)
has had the dual mission of providing quality education for both
children and adults. In February 2000, state-of-the-art buildings
were designed for the Children`s School with teaching and learning
in mind. Facilities feature light-filled rooms, outdoor porches,
expansive age-appropriate play areas, and an outdoor classroom. As
part of Mills College, students have access to the campus`
athletics facilities, woods, trails, and open spaces, all in the
heart of a vibrant, urban setting.
Our Mission
Our Core Values
Our Curriculum
In our multi-age classrooms, children learn to appreciate their own increasing competencies while sistaffmultaneously developing a strong sense of community. They also benefit from having expanded opportunities to teach one another and from more time with the same teacher. Both students and teachers are challenged to pursue learning independently and engage collaboratively, think critically and creatively, and share their learning with peers and the wider community. Our focus is on:
MCCS provides an exciting, rich, and accessible education for children and adults in a unique setting that offers access to the academic and artistic aspects of a college campus. Graduates from our preschool and elementary school are accepted at the full range of private and public schools in the Bay Area. We welcome inquiries and visits and look forward to showing you around our beautiful school!
Our Mission
- To provide high-quality, developmentally appropriate educational programs for children from infancy through fifth grade
- To provide a clinical setting in which students preparing for careers working with young children can observe and participate in the application of theory into practice
- To facilitate educational research opportunities that engage participants in the process of investigation, reflection, and documentation
Our Core Values
- Children learn by building their own understanding of the world around them; the teacher`s role is to nurture that process in developmentally appropriate ways.
- Teaching and learning occur in collaborative relationships with parents, teachers, faculty, and students.
- Everyone learns best in a safe, supportive context with tolerance for a diversity of opinions and experiences.
- Reflection and critical thinking are seen at all levels-from discussions, explanations, and presentations by our children to ongoing research and investigations by our student teachers, head teachers, and professors.
Our Curriculum
In our multi-age classrooms, children learn to appreciate their own increasing competencies while sistaffmultaneously developing a strong sense of community. They also benefit from having expanded opportunities to teach one another and from more time with the same teacher. Both students and teachers are challenged to pursue learning independently and engage collaboratively, think critically and creatively, and share their learning with peers and the wider community. Our focus is on:
- a strong social-emotional componentcultivating readers and writers, mathematicians, and scientists
- learning environments designed to reflect our philosophy
- integrated curriculum in language arts, math, science, visual and dramatic arts, music and movement, and physical education
MCCS provides an exciting, rich, and accessible education for children and adults in a unique setting that offers access to the academic and artistic aspects of a college campus. Graduates from our preschool and elementary school are accepted at the full range of private and public schools in the Bay Area. We welcome inquiries and visits and look forward to showing you around our beautiful school!
Profile last updated: 08/19/2021
School Reviews
5 1/31/2013
Our son is in Kindergarten at MCCS and we are so pleased. It is a small school with small class sizes and multi grades in each class. K/1, 2/3 and 4/5. The teachers are wonderful and very welcoming. His is excelling academically, and loves the extracurricular activites that are also part of the class. They include, art, music, culture and Spanish. Highly recommend!
Endorse Mills College Childrens School. Endorsements should be a few sentences in length. Please include any comments on:
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2406 E 16TH ST
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