Dance: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Dance is a dynamic and expressive discipline that equips students with the technical mastery and creative insight needed to interpret and communicate complex ideas, emotions, and cultural narratives through movement. This comprehensive program emphasizes both performance excellence and critical understanding, positioning dance as a vital art form within global cultural contexts.
- Technique: Develops physical precision, strength, and control across multiple dance styles, including ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk traditions, fostering a versatile and disciplined movement vocabulary.
- Choreography: Explores the process of creating original dance works, emphasizing structure, intent, and the use of space, time, and dynamics to convey artistic vision.
- Laban Notation: Introduces a systematic method for recording and analyzing movement, enabling detailed documentation and scholarly study of dance sequences and performances.
- Dance History and Criticism: Investigates the evolution of dance across cultures and historical periods, alongside critical frameworks for evaluating artistic merit, cultural significance, and performance impact.
- Dance Production: Covers the practical and artistic aspects of bringing dance performances to life, including lighting, costume design, stage management, and multimedia integration.
Dance Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Dance Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Dance degrees, including Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Choreographers and Dancers. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 110,380 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1121 | $80,190 | $47,040 - $194,530 | 97,890 | N/A |
| Choreographers 27-2032 | $55,600 | $33,080 - $94,090 | 3,430 | $26.73 |
| Dancers 27-2031 | N/A | N/A | 9,060 | $23.97 |
Dance Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $46,350 in Kansas to $129,330 in Hawaii—a 179% difference. The highest-paying states include Hawaii, New York, and New Jersey. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 110,380 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Dance by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 99 institutions offering Dance programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Dance is found at New York University (NYU) (73 graduates), Point Park University (63 graduates), Ohio State University, Main Campus (47 graduates), University of California (UCI), Irvine (45 graduates), and Oklahoma City University (OCU) (44 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,187 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
|
73 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| Point Park University |
Bachelor's
|
63 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Private | pointpark.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
47 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| University of California (UCI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
45 | Irvine, California | Public | uci.edu |
| Oklahoma City University (OCU) |
Bachelor's
|
44 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | Private | okcu.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
43 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| The Ailey School |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
|
42 | New York, New York | Private | theaileyschool.edu |
| Montclair State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
41 | Montclair, New Jersey | Public | montclair.edu |
| Texas State University (TXST) |
Bachelor's
|
41 | San Marcos, Texas | Public | txst.edu |
| SUNY |
Bachelor's
|
40 | Purchase, New York | Public | purchase.edu |
| The University of Alabama (UA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
39 | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Public | ua.edu |
| Fordham University |
Bachelor's
|
37 | Bronx, New York | Private | fordham.edu |
| California State University (CSULB) |
Bachelor's
|
36 | Long Beach, California | Public | csulb.edu |
| Chapman University |
Bachelor's
|
35 | Orange, California | Private | chapman.edu |
| Sam Houston State University (SHSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
35 | Huntsville, Texas | Public | shsu.edu |
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
34 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| Rutgers University |
Bachelor's
|
34 | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Public | newbrunswick.rutgers.edu |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU) |
Bachelor's
|
34 | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania | Public | sru.edu |
| Utah Valley University (UVU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
32 | Orem, Utah | Public | uvu.edu |
| Dean College |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
30 | Franklin, Massachusetts | Private | dean.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU) |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Provo, Utah | Private | byu.edu |
| Pace University |
Bachelor's
|
29 | New York, New York | Private | pace.edu |
| Berklee College of Music |
Bachelor's
|
28 | Boston, Massachusetts | Private | berklee.edu |
| University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Winston Salem, North Carolina | Public | uncsa.edu |
| Texas Woman's University (TWU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
27 | Denton, Texas | Public | twu.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| University of California (UCSB) |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Santa Barbara, California | Public | ucsb.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
23 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Marymount Manhattan College (MMC) |
Bachelor's
|
23 | New York, New York | Private | mmm.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
23 | Greensboro, North Carolina | Public | uncg.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
22 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| University of Iowa |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
22 | Iowa City, Iowa | Public | uiowa.edu |
| California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
21 | Valencia, California | Private | calarts.edu |
| University of Maryland (UMCP) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
21 | College Park, Maryland | Public | umd.edu |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
Bachelor's
|
21 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Public | charlotte.edu |
| Columbia College Chicago (CCC) |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | colum.edu |
| The Juilliard School |
Bachelor's
|
20 | New York, New York | Private | juilliard.edu |
| Muhlenberg College |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Allentown, Pennsylvania | Private | muhlenberg.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
20 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| East Carolina University (ECU) |
Bachelor's
|
19 | Greenville, North Carolina | Public | ecu.edu |
| University of Oklahoma (OU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
19 | Norman, Oklahoma | Public | ou.edu |
| West Virginia University (WVU) |
Bachelor's
|
19 | Morgantown, West Virginia | Public | wvu.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
19 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Public | uwm.edu |
| University of California (UCLA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
18 | Los Angeles, California | Public | ucla.edu |
| Saint Mary's College of California |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
18 | Moraga, California | Private | stmarys-ca.edu |
| Jacksonville University (JU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
18 | Jacksonville, Florida | Private | ju.edu |
| Towson University (TU) |
Bachelor's
|
18 | Towson, Maryland | Public | towson.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
18 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNLV) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Public | unlv.edu |
| SUNY Brockport |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
17 | Brockport, New York | Public | brockport.edu |
| Elon University |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Elon, North Carolina | Private | elon.edu |
| George Mason University |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Fairfax, Virginia | Public | www2.gmu.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| Indiana University (IUB) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | indiana.edu |
| Wayne State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Detroit, Michigan | Public | wayne.edu |
| Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | vcu.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
15 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| Ball State University (BSU) |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Muncie, Indiana | Public | bsu.edu |
| Butler University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Private | butler.edu |
| Lindenwood University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Saint Charles, Missouri | Private | lindenwood.edu |
| Rider University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Lawrenceville, New Jersey | Private | rider.edu |
| Adelphi University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Garden City, New York | Private | adelphi.edu |
| Hofstra University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Hempstead, New York | Private | hofstra.edu |
| Mercyhurst University |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Erie, Pennsylvania | Private | mercyhurst.edu |
| Shenandoah University (SU) |
Bachelor's
|
15 | Winchester, Virginia | Private | su.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
15 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| Brigham Young University (BYU–I) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Rexburg, Idaho | Private | byui.edu |
| Western Michigan University (WMU) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Kalamazoo, Michigan | Public | wmich.edu |
| University of Missouri (UMKC) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Kansas City, Missouri | Public | umkc.edu |
| CUNY Hunter College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | New York, New York | Public | hunter.cuny.edu |
| CUNY Lehman College |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Bronx, New York | Public | lehman.edu |
| Ohio University (OHIO) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Athens, Ohio | Public | ohio.edu |
| Alabama State University (ASU) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Montgomery, Alabama | Public | alasu.edu |
| Scottsdale Community College (SCC) |
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
|
13 | Scottsdale, Arizona | Public | scottsdalecc.edu |
| Loyola Marymount University (LMU) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Los Angeles, California | Private | lmu.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| New Jersey City University (NJCU) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Jersey City, New Jersey | Public | njcu.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Temple University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Public | temple.edu |
| University of South Carolina (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Columbia, South Carolina | Public | sc.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| Hollins University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13 | Roanoke, Virginia | Private | hollins.edu |
| University of California (UCSD) |
Bachelor's
|
12 | La Jolla, California | Public | ucsd.edu |
| University of Hawaii (UHM) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
12 | Honolulu, Hawaii | Public | manoa.hawaii.edu |
| Grand Valley State University (GVSU) |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Allendale, Michigan | Public | gvsu.edu |
| Belhaven University |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Jackson, Mississippi | Private | belhaven.edu |
| Skidmore College |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Saratoga Springs, New York | Private | skidmore.edu |
| DeSales University |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Center Valley, Pennsylvania | Private | desales.edu |
| Cornish College of the Arts |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Seattle, Washington | Private | cornish.edu |
| University of Hartford (UHart) |
Bachelor's
|
11 | West Hartford, Connecticut | Private | hartford.edu |
| Emory University |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Atlanta, Georgia | Private | emory.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Dance programs
How much can I earn with a Dance degree?
Salaries for Dance graduates vary by role and location. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $80,190 annually, while Choreographers earn around $55,600. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in Hawaii average $129,330 compared to $46,350 in Kansas. Approximately 110,380 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Dance programs?
Currently 303 accredited institutions offer Dance degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include New York University (NYU) (73 graduates), Point Park University (63 graduates), and Ohio State University, Main Campus (47 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Dance growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 2,409 in 2010 to a peak of 3,266 in 2020, before declining slightly to 3,076 in 2023-24. This represents a 28% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Dance degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, Choreographers, and Dancers. Related occupations employ approximately 110,380 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Related Arts Programs
Explore similar degree programs within the Arts field. These programs share the same academic discipline and may offer complementary skills and career pathways.
Documentary Production
A program that prepares individuals to produce nonfiction film and video. Includes instruction in film and video writing, directing, and production; film studies;...
Film and Video Arts
Any instructional program in film/video and photographic arts not listed above.
Art Studies
A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. Includes instruction in art, photography, and other visual...
Studio Arts, General
A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine...
Art History and Conservation
A program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of...
Drawing
A program that prepares individuals creatively and technically to express emotions, ideas, or inner visions through representation by lines made on a surface....