College Rankings
Best Dance Schools
The top 25 of 60 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Dance degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.
Is Dance worth it?
Financially speaking, a dance degree is one of the riskiest investments in higher education. Because early-career salaries for performers, choreographers, and studio instructors are notoriously low, the traditional return-on-investment math is brutal. The degree only pays off if you ruthlessly minimize your upfront costs. If you attend a low-cost, in-state public university where you can graduate with little to no debt, you can afford to navigate the gig economy of the performing arts. If you take out massive loans for a prestigious private conservatory, the math simply will not work in your favor.
| # | School | State | Median earnings | Net price / yr | 10-yr net ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas State University | TX | $38,967 | $16,805† | +$322K |
| 2 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | $27,843 | $3,148† | +$266K |
| 3 | Oakland University | MI | $31,999 | $9,120† | +$284K |
| 4 | Texas Woman's University | TX | $29,634 | $11,963† | +$248K |
| 5 | Stephen F Austin State University | TX | $33,340 | $14,260† | +$276K |
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $27,310 | $14,967† | +$213K |
| 7 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | $24,087 | $6,555† | +$215K |
| 8 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | MN | $31,597 | $16,778† | +$249K |
| 9 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | SC | $33,291 | $22,811† | +$242K |
| 10 | Ball State University | IN | $28,838 | $14,940† | +$229K |
| 11 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $30,686 | $10,440† | +$265K |
| 12 | Muhlenberg College | PA | $26,415 | $28,905 | +$149K |
| 13 | University of North Texas | TX | $25,034 | $15,649† | +$188K |
| 14 | University of Iowa | IA | $30,353 | $22,531† | +$213K |
| 15 | Radford University | VA | $26,476 | $14,578† | +$206K |
| 16 | University of California-Irvine | CA | $28,112 | $14,251† | +$224K |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | WI | $25,456 | $15,014† | +$195K |
| 18 | SUNY College at Potsdam | NY | $24,094 | $13,624† | +$186K |
| 19 | University of Southern California | CA | $25,653 | $32,740 | +$126K |
| 20 | University of Arizona | AZ | $24,826 | $16,674† | +$182K |
| 21 | University of Utah | UT | $24,125 | $16,200† | +$176K |
| 22 | Wayne State University | MI | $23,626 | $12,766† | +$185K |
| 23 | Florida State University | FL | $21,877 | $11,297† | +$174K |
| 24 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | $20,417 | $10,359† | +$163K |
| 25 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy | NY | $15,881 | $41,416 | −$7K |
Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI
Why these schools rank where they do
Texas State University takes the #1 spot because it taps into a massive, highly specific regional economy: the Texas public school dance and drill team circuit. While many dance programs focus purely on concert performance, Texas State offers a robust dance education track that feeds graduates directly into salaried, benefit-paying teaching jobs across the state's sprawling high school districts. It turns an often unstable arts career into a reliable profession, a trend further proven by the strong placements of Texas Woman's University and Stephen F. Austin State University.
The broader takeaway from this list is a complete rejection of the expensive private conservatory. CUNY Lehman College (#2) offers aspiring dancers direct access to the New York City audition circuit for a fraction of the cost of traditional arts schools. Meanwhile, prestigious, big-name programs like the University of Southern California (#19) and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (#25) sink to the bottom, with AMDA actually posting a negative financial return. The reality of the dance industry is that casting directors do not care how much your degree cost. Graduates from affordable regional public schools like Oakland University and California State University-Fullerton are booking the same gigs, teaching at the same studios, and joining the same companies as their peers drowning in student debt.
What is Dance?
A dance major is a rigorous, physically demanding immersion into movement, choreography, and performance, paired with the historical and anatomical science behind the art. Graduates spend their days auditioning for companies, choreographing for theaters, teaching at studios, or working behind the scenes in arts administration and production.
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually need a degree to become a professional dancer?
No. Casting directors, choreographers, and company directors care about your technique, performance quality, and how you fit the piece—not your diploma. However, a college dance program provides intense daily training, vital industry connections, and pedagogical instruction that is incredibly useful when you inevitably need to teach or choreograph to supplement your performing income.
Should I pursue a BA or a BFA in Dance?
A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a pre-professional, conservatory-style track where the vast majority of your credits will be in the studio perfecting technique and performance. A Bachelor of Arts (BA) offers a broader liberal arts education and makes it much easier to double-major. Given the financial realities of the field, many students opt for a BA and pair it with a second major like kinesiology, business, or education to ensure they have multiple career avenues.
How do dance majors make a living if they aren't in a major company?
Very few dancers make their entire living solely from performing. Most build a "portfolio career." This means they might dance for a regional contemporary company, teach classes at a local private studio, choreograph for high school theater programs, or work in arts administration. The most financially stable route straight out of undergrad is often K-12 public school dance education, provided your state has a strong arts curriculum.