Circle in the Square Theatre School

The academic offering is ruthlessly singular: the only major is Drama and Theatre Arts. This isn't a liberal arts college with a theatre department; it's a pure conservatory. The training is described as thorough and supportive, focusing intensely on core acting disciplines. The curriculum emphasizes movement analysis, body training, and stage combat, with faculty striving daily to help students become better artists. A distinctive pathway is the Circle/Eckerd BFA, a 2+2 program that allows students to combine a liberal arts education at Florida's Eckerd College with two final years of professional training at the Broadway school. The environment is famously unglamorous in its facilities—one online comment notes "Circle has broken chairs" in contrast to schools with "fancy merchandise" and "cutting edge technical systems"—suggesting every resource is poured into the training itself, not the periphery. The school's official Instagram account bills it as "the Broadway conservatory," founded in 1961.

Life at Circle in the Square is defined by its immersive, professional setting and intimate scale. The school is built on a commitment to an inclusive and diverse curriculum and culture, aiming to honor each student's uniqueness while challenging them to expand their perspectives. This ethos is reiterated across its official communications. The most defining feature of student life is the unparalleled access to a working Broadway theatre. Students train and perform in the historic Circle in the Square Theatre itself and receive the extraordinary perk of seeing all shows at Circle for free. With a total enrollment hovering around 50, the community is unavoidably tight-knit, functioning more like a professional company in training than a traditional college campus.

Outcome data for this highly specialized conservatory is limited but points to strong completion rates for those who enroll. One source reports a remarkable 100% college completion rate for students who graduate in less than four years, and the school is noted for having the highest completion rates. Post-graduation earnings data shows variability; one report lists earnings for completers four years after graduation at $33,618. The school itself is a nonprofit entity, with recent financial statements showing revenues of approximately $2.1 million against expenses of $1.95 million.

The net price after aid—the average amount families actually pay—is a critical figure for this private conservatory. The average net price is $28,089 per year. Other sources cite similar net prices around $29,537. The majority of students receive financial assistance to offset costs; between 66% and 67% of full-time beginning undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid. The average aid award per student is reported as $10,929. Financial aid includes federal and state options, such as the New York Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which requires demonstrated financial need and can provide at least $200 per year for tuition. Prospective students are directed to the school's Net Price Calculator for personalized estimates.

Circle in the Square stands out as one of the few actor training programs in the world that is physically embedded within a Broadway theatre. This isn't a metaphorical connection; it's literal. The school offers the "rare opportunity" to train, perform, and watch shows in the same venue that hosts professional Broadway productions, creating a seamless pipeline from classroom to stage. Founded in 1961, it carries the legacy of one of New York's seminal theatrical institutions. The model is one of pure, intensive focus—a single major, a tiny student body, and a culture that values the work over flashy amenities. It's a conservatory for students who want their training to smell like the dust and greasepaint of a real theatre, not a newly built campus arts center. The selective 2+2 BFA with Eckerd College also provides a unique hybrid path, blending a traditional liberal arts foundation with two years of this uncompromising professional training in the heart of New York City.