Per-age guide · 4 years old · 2025–26
What grade is a 4-year-old in?
A typical 4-year-old in the United States is in high school for the 2025–26 school year — if they were born before their state's kindergarten cutoff. If they were born after, they're typically one grade behind: Kindergarten.
Quick answer
- Born before your state's cutoff: high school
- Born after your state's cutoff: Kindergarten
- In 6 states the cutoff varies by district — confirm locally before relying on this answer.
The cohort split, visualized
The cohort split
How a single year of birthdays becomes two grades.
Every state draws a line on the calendar. Children born before the September 1 cutoff start school a year ahead of children born after.
Jan
Mar
May
Jul
Sep
Nov
September 1 cutoff
Born before cutoff—Started K on schedule. Now age 4.
Born after cutoffKindergartenStarted K a year later. Same age, one grade behind.
Calculate for your child
4-year-olds by state — 2025–26
The same 4-year-old lands in different grades depending on which state they live in. Sortable.
| State | Cutoff | Typical grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Alaska | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Arizona | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 on or before August 31. |
| Arkansas | August 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 1. |
| California | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Colorado | varies | TK / Not yet | Cutoff is set by individual school districts. Most use August or September. |
| Connecticut | January 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by January 1 of the school year (Jan 1 falls mid-year). |
| Delaware | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 31. |
| District of Columbia | September 30 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 30. |
| Florida | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Georgia | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Hawaii | July 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by July 31. |
| Idaho | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Illinois | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Indiana | August 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 1. |
| Iowa | September 15 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 15. |
| Kansas | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 31. |
| Kentucky | August 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 1 (some districts use earlier dates). |
| Louisiana | September 30 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 30. |
| Maine | October 15 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by October 15. |
| Maryland | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Massachusetts | varies | TK / Not yet | Cutoff is set by individual school districts (LEA decision). |
| Michigan | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Minnesota | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Mississippi | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Missouri | August 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 1. |
| Montana | September 10 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 10. |
| Nebraska | September 30 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 30. |
| Nevada | September 30 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 30. |
| New Hampshire | varies | TK / Not yet | New Hampshire defers kindergarten age requirements to local school districts. |
| New Jersey | varies | TK / Not yet | New Jersey defers kindergarten age requirements to local school districts (most use October 1). |
| New Mexico | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| New York | December 1 | TK / Not yet | December 1 statewide minimum; districts may set earlier dates. |
| North Carolina | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 31. |
| North Dakota | July 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by July 31. |
| Ohio | August 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 1. |
| Oklahoma | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Oregon | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Pennsylvania | varies | TK / Not yet | Pennsylvania defers kindergarten age requirements to local school districts (most use September 1). |
| Rhode Island | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| South Carolina | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| South Dakota | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Tennessee | August 15 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 15. |
| Texas | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must be 5 on or before September 1. |
| Utah | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Vermont | varies | TK / Not yet | Vermont defers kindergarten age requirements to local school districts. |
| Virginia | September 30 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 30. |
| Washington | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 31. |
| West Virginia | August 31 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by August 31. |
| Wisconsin | September 1 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 1. |
| Wyoming | September 15 | TK / Not yet | Children must turn 5 by September 15. |
Frequently asked
Can a 4-year-old skip a grade?
Grade-skipping is possible but rare; most US districts require formal academic assessment plus a social-emotional review. Talk to the school counselor before assuming.
What if my 4-year-old started kindergarten late?
If they were redshirted (held back a year before K), they'll be one grade behind their birth-year cohort. That's the second row of the answer above.
Is my 4-year-old considered "redshirted"?
Only if you intentionally delayed kindergarten. Children born after the cutoff who start K on schedule for their birthday aren't redshirted — they're on time for their state.
Sources
Education Commission of the States — Kindergarten Entrance Ages.
Individual state Departments of Education (linked from each state page).