HUMANITIES Specialization

Dance

Dance graduates earn $39,980 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $24,910 and $57,333. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.

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About Dance

This page covers Dance as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Visual & Performing Arts and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Dance is a focused area of study within Visual & Performing Arts. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $39,980 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 363 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 3,233 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.

Median Earnings · 1yr: $21,878
Median Earnings · 4yr: $39,980
Colleges Offering: 363
Graduates / Year: 3,233
Avg Net Price / yr: $22,027

How Much Do Dance Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Dance, a typical graduate earns $39,980, significantly below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $24,910 and $57,333, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $21,878 at one year out to $39,980 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$21,878

1 Year After Graduation

Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.

$39,980

4-Year National Median

Significantly below average. Graduate credentials or high-demand roles can raise this considerably.

$40,844

4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.

Earnings Range

Not every Dance graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.

$24,910 25th pct.

$39,980 Median

$57,333 75th pct.

Is the Cost Worth It?

At median 4-year earnings of $39,980 and an estimated $88,108 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 8.8 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.

Based on outcomes from 283 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 3,233 students who complete Dance programs each year, the majority (84%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

84%

Bachelor's 84%

Master's 8%

Associate's 5%

What Can You Do With a Dance Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Dance graduates show up in 2 different occupations, and Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary pays the most at $78,620/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.

The best-paid of these is what an Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +2.2% Zone 5: Extensive preparation

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

$78,620

$62K $104K 25th–75th pct.

Master's degree 8,000 openings/yr 94K employed nationally

Speaking Instructing Learning Strategies Reading Comprehension Active Listening

Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.

↗ +2.2% Zone 3: Medium preparation

Dancers

No formal educational credential 1,600 openings/yr 8K employed nationally

Active Listening Critical Thinking Coordination Social Perceptiveness Time Management

Day-to-day responsibilities

Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.

Study and practice dance moves required in roles.
Harmonize body movements to rhythm of musical accompaniment.
Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.

Top Colleges for Dance

Not sure where to study Dance? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Point Park University, and the rest follow the same measures.

#	College	Graduates	Acceptance	Net Price/yr	Earnings 10yr
1	Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA · Nonprofit	71	96.9%	$25,942	$45,856
2	New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit	70	9.2%	$37,050	$82,509
3	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT · Public	48	86%	$16,200	$67,170
4	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA · Public	43	28.6%	$14,251	$80,735
5	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Public	41	46.3%	$10,440	$64,403
6	SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY · Public	41	74.1%	$18,913	$45,092
7	Dean College Franklin, MA · Nonprofit	39	73.7%	$30,684	$38,109
8	Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY · Nonprofit	38	82.6%	$36,861	$49,131
9	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ · Public	37	86.1%	$16,674	$59,979
10	Texas State University San Marcos, TX · Public	36	89.3%	$16,805	$56,906
11	Berklee College of Music Boston, MA · Nonprofit	36	43.5%	$49,465	$33,647
12	University of Florida Gainesville, FL · Public	35	24.2%	$6,541	$71,588
13	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ · Public	35	87.9%	$15,566	$61,415
14	Texas Woman's University Denton, TX · Public	35	96.1%	$11,963	$56,544
15	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX · Public	34	90.3%	$16,404	$54,211
16	University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC · Public	34	30%	$14,906	$38,357
17	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL · Public	33	76.7%	$22,420	$59,221
18	Chapman University Orange, CA · Nonprofit	33	65.4%	$46,555	$70,070
19	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH · Public	31	60.6%	$17,339	$60,409
20	Brigham Young University Provo, UT · Nonprofit	29	67.8%	$15,564	$75,790

View all colleges

Ranked by Dance graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Dance program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

College ROI Calculator

See if a Dance degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.

College Cost Calculator

Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.

Compare Colleges

Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.

College Match Quiz

Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.

Dance Degree: Pros & Cons

Dance carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 1 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.

PROS

Strong salary growth Median earnings climb from $21,878 at graduation to $39,980 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.

CONS

Below-average earnings Four-year median of $39,980 falls below the national median for bachelor's degree holders.
Advanced degree often expected Top roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Slow job growth Top related careers project less than 3% growth over the next decade; limited expansion means more competition for new openings.
Long earnings breakeven At median salary and average net price, recovering education costs versus a baseline wage takes roughly 8.8 years.

Dance Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Dance graduates earn?

$39,980 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $24,910 and $57,333, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the starting salary for a Dance degree?

$21,878 in the first year out. That grows to $39,980 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.

What jobs can you get with a Dance degree?

Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is one path, and it pays a median of $78,620 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.

How long does a Dance program take?

Four years of full-time study for a Dance bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.

How many colleges offer Dance?

363 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.

Is a Dance degree worth it?

$39,980 median earnings four years out against $22,027 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the difference between Dance and Visual & Performing Arts?

Dance is the narrower of the two: Visual & Performing Arts covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Dance-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.

What skills do employers look for in Dance graduates?

Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Dance graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.

What is the job outlook for Dance graduates?

Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +2.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary is among the strongest-growth roles at +2.2%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.