In short: of the 339 institutions in our database, 206 are in Cluj-Napoca and 133 across the rest of the county. The city ones are spread over 16 neighbourhoods. Gheorgheni leads with 28 institutions, followed by Centru (27), Grigorescu (22) and Mănăștur (22). The most important difference, though, isn’t the raw count but the state/private ratio: Mănăștur has 15 state units out of 22, while Andrei Mureșanu has just 1 out of 15.
The figures below come straight from the piticluj.ro database and explain why “how many” matters less than “what kind”.
The neighbourhood ranking
| Neighbourhood | Total | Kindergartens | Nurseries | State | Private |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centru | 27 | 20 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| Gheorgheni | 28 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 18 |
| Grigorescu | 22 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| Mănăștur | 22 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 7 |
| Mărăști | 17 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| Andrei Mureșanu | 15 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Bună Ziua | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Dâmbul Rotund | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Borhanci | 9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Gruia | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Între Lacuri | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Zorilor | 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Iris | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Plopilor | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Someșeni | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Făget | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Cluj-Napoca total: 137 kindergartens and 68 nurseries, of which 77 state and 128 private.
What the numbers actually say
1. A high count doesn’t mean easy access. Gheorgheni has the most institutions, but 18 of 28 are private — and in Centru, 17 of 27. If you’re aiming for a state unit, competition in the top neighbourhoods is far tighter than the headline number suggests.
2. Mănăștur is the outlier for state provision. With 15 state units out of 22, it has the best public coverage in the city — a practical reason many families choose the area.
3. Newer neighbourhoods are almost entirely private. Borhanci has zero state units out of 9. Bună Ziua has 3 of 10. In recently developed areas, public infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with residential construction, and private provision filled the gap — at market prices.
4. Nurseries are systematically fewer than kindergartens. 68 versus 137 in the city. That’s why pressure on the 0–3 segment is higher and waiting lists longer — see what to do if you didn’t get a nursery place.
Where to find other-language groups
| Neighbourhood | Hungarian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Centru | 10 | 10 |
| Gheorgheni | 8 | 17 |
| Mănăștur | 7 | 4 |
| Grigorescu | 4 | 12 |
| Plopilor | 3 | 2 |
| Mărăști | 3 | 5 |
| Andrei Mureșanu | 2 | 9 |
| Borhanci | 0 | 8 |
Across Cluj-Napoca: 46 institutions with Hungarian, 88 with English, 25 with German.
The pattern is clear: Hungarian concentrates in Centru and Mănăștur, areas with a tradition of Hungarian-language education. English follows the map of private provision — Gheorgheni, Grigorescu, Andrei Mureșanu, Borhanci.
If language of instruction matters to you, see our guides on Hungarian-language kindergartens, English-language ones, Romanian–Hungarian bilingual and German-section. For how to decide, see which language to choose for a bilingual child.
The county: Florești dominates
Of the 133 institutions outside the city, spread across 68 localities, Florești has 16 — more than most Cluj neighbourhoods. Turda follows with 12, Dej with 11, Câmpia Turzii with 8 and Gherla with 6.
For commuting families, the “city or commune?” question has real administrative implications: a commune has its own city hall and its own criteria. See Cluj or the neighbouring commune — a decision guide and the situation in Florești.
How to use the data when choosing
A practical way to read the tables:
- Start from the type you want, not the neighbourhood. For state, start from the list of state kindergartens and prioritise Mănăștur, Centru and Gheorgheni. If private fits your budget, almost any neighbourhood works.
- Check the age segment. For 0–3, the neighbourhoods with most nurseries are Gheorgheni (10), Grigorescu (10), Centru (7) and Mănăștur (7).
- Add the language criterion, if relevant.
- Calculate the real commute, not map distance. A kindergarten 2 km away can mean 25 minutes in morning traffic.
- Don’t limit yourself to your own neighbourhood. Tiebreak criteria may allow enrolling elsewhere — see the tiebreak criteria.
⚑ These figures reflect our database as of this article’s update. The number of places within a unit changes annually and is not the same as the number of institutions. For available places, see where to check them.
Frequently asked questions
Which Cluj neighbourhood has the most kindergartens and nurseries? Centru, with 28 institutions, followed by Gheorgheni (27), Grigorescu (22) and Mănăștur (22).
Where do I find the most state kindergartens? In Mănăștur, with 15 state units out of 22 — the best public coverage in the city. Centru follows with 11 and Gheorgheni with 10.
Which neighbourhoods have the fewest state options? Borhanci has no state unit among its 9 listed, and Andrei Mureșanu has just 1 of 15. These are recently developed residential areas where provision is predominantly private.
How many nurseries are there in Cluj-Napoca compared to kindergartens? 68 nurseries against 137 kindergartens in the city. The 0–3 segment is structurally smaller, hence the greater pressure on places.
Where do I find Hungarian-language groups? Most are in Centru (10), Gheorgheni (8) and Mănăștur (7). In total, 46 institutions in the city teach in Hungarian.
How many institutions are outside the city? 58 of the 339, of which 16 are in Florești — more than in most city neighbourhoods.
Sources
- The piticluj.ro database — 339 institutions, updated periodically; see our data sources
- Cluj County School Inspectorate — the school network and state units
- Cluj-Napoca nurseries — municipal nurseries
- ARACIP — status of private units
- Cluj-Napoca City Hall — education units
Conclusion
The practical takeaway isn’t “move to Mănăștur” but: decide state or private first, then choose the neighbourhood. The data shows clearly that the two maps don’t overlap — the neighbourhoods with the most institutions are not the ones offering the best access to state provision.
Explore each neighbourhood on the piticluj.ro interactive map or directly from the neighbourhoods section, with filters for type, category and language.