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Visual & Performing Arts · Dance Rank #35 of 62

Danceat University of California-Los Angeles

Graduates earn $19,787/yr in their first year — about 12.0% below the national Dance average. Base-case 10-year earnings $400K; scenarios range from $382K to $397K depending on AI disruption.

Los Angeles, CA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
16 AT RISK
17
Optimistic
14
Pessimistic
Earnings
$19,787
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$400K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Low
21% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UCLA

Your UCLA Dance degree offers a unique pathway, and the figures reflect the realities of a highly competitive, passion-driven field. Despite the university's elite standing, early-career earnings for dance graduates, even from such a prestigious program, often start lower than in other disciplines. This isn't a reflection on your talent or the program's quality, but rather the intense competition in the Los Angeles arts scene, where countless aspiring performers, choreographers, and educators vie for opportunities. Many graduates forge multifaceted careers, blending performance with teaching, arts administration, or movement therapy, often through a series of gigs rather than a single employer.

However, your low AI risk score underscores the irreplaceable human element in dance—its creativity, physicality, and emotional depth are inherently resistant to automation. To thrive, leverage UCLA's unparalleled network and the city's vast performance opportunities. Actively seek out internships, collaborate widely, and develop entrepreneurial skills to manage your diverse career path, connecting with the many alumni who navigate this dynamic industry.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$382K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score14/100
Earnings Multiple6.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$400K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score16/100
Earnings Multiple7.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$397K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score17/100
Earnings Multiple7.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UCLA's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Dance graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 9,000 openings/yr
$80,190/yr
Moderate
2
Choreographers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 700 openings/yr
$55,600/yr
Low
3
Dancers
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 1,800 openings/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Dance

How UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Texas State University
TX · Public
39
DW Score
$39K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Stephen F Austin State University
TX · Public
29
DW Score
$33K
1-yr earn
6.9x
ROI
University of South Carolina-Columbia
SC · Public
28
DW Score
$33K
1-yr earn
5.6x
ROI
Oakland University
MI · Public
27
DW Score
$32K
1-yr earn
4.4x
ROI
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN · Public
26
DW Score
$32K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
Also at UCLA

Other top programs at UCLA

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UCLA, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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.

Compare Dance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Dance at UCLA

How does University of California-Los Angeles's Dance program score?

This program scores 16/100 — on the lower end for Dance. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.