# Dance

> A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/dance
- CIP code: 50.03 (Visual and Performing Arts)
- Colleges offering it: 278 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 53 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 85 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bachelor's | 278 | $28,543 | $40,844 | $24,142 |
| Master's | 56 | $44,307 | $64,507 | $99,072 |
| Doctoral | 4 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 10 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Iowa](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-iowa-2929) | Iowa City, IA | $60,188 | not reported |
| [Muhlenberg College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/muhlenberg-college-1804) | Allentown, PA | $56,503 | $26,000 |
| [University of South Carolina-Columbia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-south-carolina-columbia-main-campus-3042) | Columbia, SC | $55,274 | not reported |
| [Texas Woman's University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-woman-s-university-2714) | Denton, TX | $53,072 | $22,171 |
| [Texas State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-state-university-2709) | San Marcos, TX | $53,057 | $21,302 |
| [The University of Alabama](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-alabama-main-campus-2753) | Tuscaloosa, AL | $51,744 | $26,000 |
| [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rutgers-university-new-brunswick-main-campus-2279) | New Brunswick, NJ | $51,736 | $23,749 |
| [Chapman University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/chapman-university-510) | Orange, CA | $50,612 | $21,759 |
| [The Juilliard School](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-juilliard-school-2743) | New York, NY | $50,287 | $22,498 |
| [University of North Texas](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-texas-2999) | Denton, TX | $49,063 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/art-drama-and-music-teachers-postsecondary): $78,620 median pay
- [Choreographers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/choreographers): $55,310 median pay

## More in Visual and Performing Arts

- [Music](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/music): 1,058 colleges
- [Fine and Studio Arts](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/fine-and-studio-arts): 1,052 colleges
- [Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/drama-theatre-arts-and-stagecraft): 862 colleges
- [Design and Applied Arts](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/design-and-applied-arts): 652 colleges
- [Film/Video and Photographic Arts](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/film-video-and-photographic-arts): 427 colleges
- [Visual and Performing Arts, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/visual-and-performing-arts-general): 298 colleges
- [Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/arts-entertainment-and-media-management): 230 colleges
- [Visual and Performing Arts, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/visual-and-performing-arts-other): 62 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/