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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Peer schools offering Dance
How UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.
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 →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.