Where Did the 2026 Tony Acting Nominees Go to School?

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Boston, MA·Private

Tuition: $56KAvg GPA: 3.47 (W)Selectiveness: SelectiveClass Size: Small

Nicholas Christopher's Boston Conservatory connection sits beside his Juilliard training in this year's nominee map. Christopher left training at Juilliard to join the In The Heights National Tour. BoCo is part of Berklee and offers conservatory training across musical theatre, theatre, dance, and music.

The Juilliard School

New York, NY·Private

School Acceptance: 9%Tuition: $58KSelectiveness: Ultra SelectiveClass Size: Very Small

Christopher's Juilliard training adds a New York conservatory route to the list. Juilliard's Drama Division is one of the most visible actor-training pipelines represented in Broadway bios.

New York University

New York, NY·Private

School Acceptance: 9%Tuition: $63KSelectiveness: Highly SelectiveClass Size: Small

Tisch drama students train through studio-based pathways, in addition to regular academics. Brandon Uranowitz studied at The Meisner Studio and graduated in 2008. Stephanie Hsu was at The Atlantic Acting School. and then Experimental Theatre Wing and graduated in 2012. Alden Ehrenreich studied theatre and paved his own way at the Gallatin School through his junior year, but didn't graduate. Betsy Aidem earned her BFA in Drama in 1979.

University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music

Cincinnati, OH·Public

School Acceptance: 85%Tuition: $29KAvg GPA: 3.69 (W)Selectiveness: Highly SelectiveClass Size: Small

Marla Mindelle and Shoshana Bean put CCM in the nominee map. Marla is a 2006 CCM BFA Musical Theatre graduate, while Bean graduated in 1999. CCM remains a frequent reference point for students comparing musical theatre conservatories.

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA·Private

School Acceptance: 12%Tuition: $66KAvg GPA: 3.89

Will Harrison and Ben Levi Ross both connect to Carnegie Mellon, though their routes are different. Harrison is a 2019 School of Drama graduate, while Ross's left the School of Drama in 2017 before an early professional break.

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL·Public

School Acceptance: 24%Tuition: $19KAvg GPA: 3.71Selectiveness: Highly SelectiveClass Size: Small

Christiani Pitts's BFA Music Theatre comes from Florida State University. FSU materials confirm her 2015 graduation, making her path one of the clearest musical theatre degree examples in this group.

Ithaca College

Ithaca, NY·Private

School Acceptance: 69%Tuition: $54KAvg GPA: 3.73 (W)Selectiveness: SelectiveClass Size: Small

Ithaca appears in two different ways: Ali Louis Bourzgui through a BFA Musical Theatre and Hannah Cruz through a planned path before a professional tour changed the timeline. That contrast is useful for students weighing college training against an early job offer.

Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Woking, Surrey·Private

Italia Conti appears in this nominee map through Sam Tutty, Lesley Manville, and Layton Williams. Located in Woking, Surrey in the United Kingdom, the school represents a UK stage-school route: focused actor and performing arts training rather than a US-style BFA pathway. Italia Conti offers conservatoire-style performing arts training with a strong emphasis on versatility, industry readiness, and cross-disciplinary skill-building. Students can train in acting, musical theatre, and dance, with offerings ranging from one-year foundation-style study to full-time BA/FdA pathways and postgraduate or short-course options. Musical theatre students focus on the classic “triple threat” balance of singing, acting, and dance, while acting students build technique across stage, screen, audio, voice, movement, text, and scene work.

Molloy University / CAP21

Rockville Centre, NY·Private

School Acceptance: 82%Tuition: $40KAvg GPA: 3.55 (W)Selectiveness: SelectiveClass Size: Medium

Nichelle Lewis's CAP21 path runs through Molloy University, which announced her 2021 graduation and Broadway work in The Wiz. The Molloy/CAP21 model combines a university degree with conservatory musical theatre training.

AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts

New York, NY·Private

School Acceptance: 24%Tuition: $47K

Caissie Levy's public bios point to AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Its New York and Los Angeles campuses make it one of the clearest direct performing arts training examples in this nominee group.

Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City, OK·Private

School Acceptance: 77%Tuition: $36KAvg GPA: 3.83Selectiveness: Selective

Kelli O'Hara earned a Bachelor of Music from Oklahoma City University before her long Broadway singing career. OCU is a useful school to compare when vocal performance, opera, and musical theatre interests overlap.

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI·Public

School Acceptance: 45%Tuition: $42KAvg GPA: 3.9 (W)

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has spawned three nominees this year, each through their own routes; including André De Shields (BA English), Carrie Coon (MFA Acting), and Marylouise Burke (MA English Literature). The connection is not one single program, which is exactly why the nominee list is more interesting than a simple conservatory ranking.

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL·Private

School Acceptance: 8%Tuition: $68KAvg GPA: 4.17 (W)Selectiveness: Highly SelectiveClass Size: Very Small

Ana Gasteyer's Northwestern School of Communication degree shows a route where theatre, performance studies, and comedy can intersect. Her path sits beside Dartmouth and Harvard in the group of liberal arts universities represented by nominees.

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN·Public

School Acceptance: 80%Tuition: $38KAvg GPA: 3.9 (W)Selectiveness: Highly SelectiveClass Size: Small

Aya Cash trained through the University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program. That program gives this list a clear example of a university degree tied directly to a major regional theatre.