Dance Degree

62 schools compared · Average earnings $22,513/yr

Students study dance technique across multiple styles, choreography, dance history, kinesiology, and performance through intensive studio training alongside academic coursework. Graduates typically pursue careers as professional dancers, choreographers, dance teachers, dance therapists, and arts administrators for dance companies and performing arts organizations. Beyond performance careers, dance training develops discipline, creativity, and body awareness valued in fitness, therapy, and entertainment.

What Dance Graduates Do

Your career will likely begin on your feet, balancing performance with instruction. As a dancer, you’ll navigate a cycle of auditions, intensive rehearsals, and short-term contracts, demanding peak physical conditioning. Many simultaneously teach at local studios, developing curriculum for various age groups and often managing administrative tasks. With experience, you can transition into choreography, where your focus shifts from performing to conceptualizing new works and directing other dancers. Another long-term path is becoming a postsecondary instructor, mentoring the next generation of artists within a college or university setting.

While roles for choreographers and dancers are growing steadily, the most stable careers often blend performance, teaching, and creative work. The physical, person-to-person nature of this field makes it highly resistant to AI disruption. While some AI tools may assist educators with administrative tasks, the core work of demonstrating movement and providing hands-on correction remains fundamentally human-centric, a distinct advantage in an automating world.

Schools Offering
62
Avg Grad Earnings
$22,513/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
18/100
AI Automation Risk
Low
21% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Dance graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 11,500 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
$80,190
$61K$122K
9,000 +1.7% 44%
Choreographers
$55,600
$40K$71K
700 +6.1% 27%
Dancers N/A 1,800 +4.5% 2%
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
$80,190
$61K $122K
9,000 openings/yr +1.7% growth 44% AI risk
Choreographers
$55,600
$40K $71K
700 openings/yr +6.1% growth 27% AI risk
Dancers
N/A
1,800 openings/yr +4.5% growth 2% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Dance

Top 20 of 62 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
39
33–40
$38,967/yr 10.9x
2 Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX
31
25–32
$29,634/yr 12.3x
3 Stephen F Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX
29
23–30
$33,340/yr 6.9x
4 University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC
28
22–29
$33,291/yr 5.6x
5 Oakland University
Rochester Hills, MI
27
21–27
$31,999/yr 4.4x
6 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN
26
20–26
$31,597/yr 3.8x
7 University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
26
20–27
$30,353/yr 8.6x
8 CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY
26
21–27
$27,843/yr 8.4x
9 Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ
26
22–27
$27,310/yr 9.0x
10 Ball State University
Muncie, IN
25
20–26
$28,838/yr 5.7x
11 California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
24
18–25
$30,686/yr 8.8x
12 University of North Texas
Denton, TX
23
19–24
$25,034/yr 8.9x
13 California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
23
19–24
$24,087/yr 7.5x
14 Radford University
Radford, VA
22
18–23
$26,476/yr 4.4x
15 University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
22
18–23
$25,653/yr -0.1x
16 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI
22
18–23
$25,456/yr 5.4x
17 SUNY College at Potsdam
Potsdam, NY
22
18–23
$24,094/yr 5.9x
18 Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
22
19–23
$21,877/yr 8.7x
19 University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
21
18–22
$24,125/yr 5.5x
20 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
20
17–21
$24,826/yr 3.6x

Highest Earning Dance Programs

Schools where Dance graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

Best ROI for Dance

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Dance.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Texas Woman's University 12.3x $29,634/yr 31
Texas State University 10.9x $38,967/yr 39
University of North Carolina at Charlotte 9.0x $23,587/yr 19
Arizona State University Campus Immersion 9.0x $27,310/yr 26
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania 8.9x $19,681/yr 19
University of North Texas 8.9x $25,034/yr 23
California State University-Long Beach 8.8x $30,686/yr 24
Florida State University 8.7x $21,877/yr 22
University of Iowa 8.6x $30,353/yr 26
CUNY Lehman College 8.4x $27,843/yr 26
Want to compare two Dance programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Dance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Dance graduates earn?
Across 62 schools, Dance graduates earn an average of $22,513 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $12,039 to $38,967 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Dance?
Dance is rated "Low" for AI automation risk, with an average of 21% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means relatively few career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Dance program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), Texas State University ranks #1 for Dance with a score of 39/100 and graduate earnings of $38,967/yr.
What's the outlook for a Dance degree?
On average, Dance graduates earn 4.1x their in-state tuition over 10 years. ROI varies significantly by school — choose carefully.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →