Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School is a not-for-profit independent day school in New York City, founded in 1914, serving approximately 110-125 students in grades 4-12 who pursue pre-professional careers in performing arts, athletics, and specialized fields alongside rigorous college-preparatory academics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1914
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Professional Children's School does
Professional Children's School is a not-for-profit independent day school founded in 1914 in New York City, serving approximately 110-125 students in grades 4-12. The school's primary mission is to provide rigorous college-preparatory academics alongside schedule flexibility for young people pursuing pre-professional careers in performing arts, athletics, and other specialized fields. Students include ballet dancers, musicians, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs whose rehearsal, training, audition, and competition schedules conflict with conventional school hours. The student body is roughly 40% students of color and 18% international, drawn from seven or more countries.
The school's flagship offering is the Guided Study Program, a hybrid learning model that enables students to continue coursework remotely via Canvas LMS, video conferencing, and digital teacher correspondence when professional commitments prevent in-person attendance. Core academic products include a college-preparatory curriculum (English, Math, Science, History, World Languages, Arts, ENL), the online Summer Academy for credit and non-credit courses, a dedicated College Counseling program, and Learning Support Services. The technology stack is commodity educational software: Canvas, Google Suite, Zoom, and Blackbaud mySchoolApp.
The business model is tuition-driven subscription revenue with philanthropic supplementation. Annual tuition for 2026-2027 is $62,790 for returning students, with approximately 43% of students receiving need-based financial aid covering 30-60% of tuition. Admissions are rolling year-round for grades 4-12, enrolling roughly 50 new students annually plus 6-12 mid-year enrollments, with international recruitment handled through I-20 visa support and SEVIS coordination. The $75 application fee is a minor transactional stream. Supplementary revenue comes from Summer Academy ($2,000-$4,000 per course), an annual Spring Gala ($288,980 raised in 2026), and a Day of Giving that has surpassed its $200,000 goal for four consecutive years. Marketing is community-led and referral-driven, leveraging a legendary alumni network that includes Yo-Yo Ma, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Ricci, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tiler Peck, and Vera Wang.
Professional Children's School firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Professional Children's School
- Legal name
- Professional Children's School
- Website
- https://pcs-nyc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1914
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Professional Children's School is a not-for-profit independent day school in New York City, founded in 1914, serving approximately 110-125 students in grades 4-12 who pursue pre-professional careers in performing arts, athletics, and specialized fields alongside rigorous college-preparatory academics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Professional Children's School industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Private Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)
Keywords
Where Professional Children's School is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Professional Children's School business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tuition: Primary revenue source from tuition fees for grades 4-12. 2026-2027 tuition is $62,790 for returning students and $63,525 for new seniors. Second semester tuition is $39,525. An average of 43% of students receive need-based financial aid.
- Annual Giving / Donations: The Fund for Professional Children's School encompasses all philanthropic contributions including unrestricted gifts, financial aid donations, and special initiatives. The school runs an annual Day of Giving in November and Spring Gala fundraising events.
- Summer Academy: Online summer courses for credit and non-credit. Half-credit or non-credit courses are $2,000; full credit courses are $4,000.
- Application Fees: $75 application fee charged for each admission application submitted.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | 2026-2027 Full Year Tuition - Returning Students |
| Subscription | Annual | 2026-2027 Full Year Tuition - New Seniors |
| Subscription | Annual | Second Semester Enrollment |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Application Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Academy - Half Credit or Non-Credit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Summer Academy - Full Credit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Professional Children's School product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Professional Children's School is a private, not-for-profit independent day school serving grades 6-12 (with admissions for grades 4-12) in New York City. It delivers a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum alongside flexible scheduling and a flagship hybrid learning program (Guided Study) that enables pre-professional students in performing arts, athletics, and other fields to continue their education remotely when professional commitments prevent classroom attendance. The school supports roughly 110-125 enrolled students with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio and small class sizes of 12-16.
Product overview
Professional Children's School offers a unified educational platform centered on its Guided Study Program, a hybrid learning model that combines in-person college-preparatory instruction with remote learning capabilities. The school provides a comprehensive academic curriculum (grades 4-12) including English, History, Science, Mathematics, World Languages, and Arts, supplemented by the Summer Academy for online credit and non-credit courses. Additional support services include College Counseling and Learning Support. The Guided Study Program serves as the flagship offering, enabling students with professional commitments in performing arts, athletics, and other fields to maintain academic progress remotely through Canvas LMS, video conferencing, and digital correspondence with faculty.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Guided Study Program A hybrid learning program enabling pre-professional students to continue their education remotely via Canvas LMS, video conferencing, and digital correspondence with teachers when professional commitments prevent classroom attendance.
- Summer Academy Online summer academic program offering half-credit, full-credit, and non-credit courses for students in grades 9-12, allowing credit recovery or acceleration outside the regular academic year.
- College Counseling Program Comprehensive college and conservatory guidance service delivered by a dedicated full-time College Counselor who supports applications to universities, colleges, and conservatories with attention to the unique needs of pre-professional students.
- Learning Support Services Individualized academic support delivered by a Learning Specialist, including help with organization, study skills, reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics, plus educational plans for diagnosed learning disabilities and standardized test accommodations.
- Academic Curriculum (Grades 4-12) College-preparatory curriculum covering English, History, Science, Mathematics, World Languages (Spanish and French), Arts (Drama, Music, Visual Arts), Physical Education, and English as a New Language (ENL), requiring a minimum of 18 credits for graduation across grades 4-12.
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates attend prestigious universities, colleges, and conservatories worldwide
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Professional Children's School
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Professional Children's School technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature1 record
Professional Children's School partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered moderate and core.
- ISAAGNY (Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York)moderatePCS is a proud member of ISAAGNY, which ensures orderly, professional, and equitable admissions processes at member schools through shared admissions timeline, professional development, and resource sharing among ~30,000 students across greater New York.
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)moderatePCS is accredited by NYSAIS and a member of NAIS, which provides advocacy, professional development, and resources for independent schools.
- New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)coreOfficial accreditation body for PCS. NYSAIS accreditation confirms the school meets high standards for independent education in New York State.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Professional Children's School competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- The School of American Ballet: Official training academy of New York City Ballet, offering pre-professional ballet instruction alongside academic partnerships. Comparable in serving NYC pre-professional dance students, though focused on training rather than full academics.
- Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center: NYC K-12 school at Kaufman Music Center focused specifically on musically gifted children, combining rigorous academics with pre-professional music training. Comparable in flexible scheduling and academic-arts hybrid model within NYC.
Regional players
- New World School of the Arts: Miami-based public magnet school offering college-prep academics alongside pre-professional arts training in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and film. Similar hybrid academic/arts model serving a different geographic market.
- Frank Sinatra School of the Arts: NYC public specialized high school in Astoria, Queens serving grades 9-12 with conservatory-style arts programs. Comparable student demographic and academic-arts hybrid mission within the same metro.
- Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts: West Palm Beach, Florida magnet high school (grades 9-12) offering college-prep academics with pre-professional training across multiple arts disciplines. Comparable academic-arts hybrid structure in a different U.S. market.
Broad incumbents
- The Spence School: Elite NYC independent day school for grades K-12 with strong college-preparatory academics. Comparable as a premium NYC independent school (and notably where PCS's current Head of School previously served), though not arts-specialized.
Direct peers
- Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS): NYC middle/high school serving grades 6-12 with a dual academic/arts mission for students pursuing professional performing arts careers. Closest in-market direct competitor with overlapping admissions pool and similar student profile.
- Idyllwild Arts Academy: California boarding school for grades 9-12 combining college-preparatory academics with pre-professional arts instruction across multiple disciplines. Comparable model for students needing flexible scheduling around professional commitments.
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts: NYC public specialized high school for grades 9-12 serving pre-professional artists in dance, music, theater, visual arts, and film. Competes directly for the same NYC performing-arts student pool as PCS.
- Interlochen Arts Academy: Boarding school in Michigan serving grades 9-12 with rigorous college-prep academics alongside pre-professional arts training in music, dance, theater, visual arts, and creative writing. Most comparable residential counterpart to PCS's hybrid model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Professional Children's School social profiles
Digital presenceProfessional Children's School financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Professional Children's School leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Professional Children's School funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Professional Children's School M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Professional Children's School
What does Professional Children's School do?
Professional Children's School is a private, not-for-profit independent day school serving grades 6-12 (with admissions for grades 4-12) in New York City. It delivers a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum alongside flexible scheduling and a flagship hybrid learning program (Guided Study) that enables pre-professional students in performing arts, athletics, and other fields to continue their education remotely when professional commitments prevent classroom attendance. The school supports roughly 110-125 enrolled students with an 8:1 student-teacher ratio and small class sizes of 12-16.
Is Professional Children's School a public or private company?
Professional Children's School is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Professional Children's School founded?
Professional Children's School was founded in 1914. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Professional Children's School based?
Professional Children's School is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Professional Children's School make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition is the primary driver. The others are annual Giving / Donations, summer Academy and application Fees.
Who are Professional Children's School's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are The School of American Ballet and Special Music School at Kaufman Music Center. Regional players are New World School of the Arts, Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. The Spence School is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Professional Performing Arts School (PPAS), Idyllwild Arts Academy, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and Interlochen Arts Academy.
Does Professional Children's School have an API?
No public API is recorded for Professional Children's School.
What industry is Professional Children's School in?
Professional Children's School's product category is Independent Private Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAA, Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.