Dance programs
CIP 5003 · Visual & Performing Arts · ranked by median earnings four years after completion
59 institutions report graduate earnings for Dance programs (College Scorecard, 2024-25). Across them the median is $41,410 four years after completion, with a typical debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58× and 61% of graduates earning above the federal earnings threshold. Indicatively, 22 of the 60 programs with both earnings and a benchmark fall below the earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026); the rest clear it.
| # | Institution | Earn 4yr | % > threshold | Median debt | Debt/earn | Earnings premium | 2 of 3 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Mary's College of CaliforniaCA · Master's | $89,283 n=18 | 73% 1yr | $41,000 | 0.46× | Above +19% | — |
| 2 | New York UniversityNY · Master's | $64,507 n=32 | 66% 5yr | $107,374 | 1.67× | Below -9% | Below 2/2 |
| 3 | University of IowaIA · Bachelor's | $60,188 n=16 | 82% 5yr | $21,500 | 0.36× | Above +56% | Clears 2/2 |
| 4 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityTX · Bachelor's | $57,593 n=18 | — | $28,750 | 0.50× | Above +61% | — |
| 5 | Muhlenberg CollegePA · Bachelor's | $56,503 n=26 | 82% 5yr | $27,000 | 0.48× | Above +50% | Clears 2/2 |
| 6 | Jacksonville UniversityFL · Master's | $56,162 n=17 | — | — | — | Above +1% | — |
| 7 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSC · Bachelor's | $55,274 n=21 | — | $26,000 | 0.47× | Above +61% | — |
| 8 | Texas Woman's UniversityTX · Bachelor's | $53,072 n=31 | 67% 5yr | $21,280 | 0.40× | Above +48% | Clears 2/2 |
| 9 | Texas State UniversityTX · Bachelor's | $53,057 n=55 | 73% | $20,500 | 0.39× | Above +48% | Clears 2/2 |
| 10 | The University of AlabamaAL · Bachelor's | $51,744 n=22 | — | $19,500 | 0.38× | Above +50% | — |
| 11 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickNJ · Bachelor's | $51,736 n=36 | — | $25,565 | 0.49× | Above +30% | Below 1/2 |
| 12 | Chapman UniversityCA · Bachelor's | $50,612 n=31 | 61% 5yr | $23,624 | 0.47× | Above +32% | Below 1/2 |
| 13 | The Juilliard SchoolNY · Bachelor's | $50,287 n=19 | — | $27,000 | 0.54× | Above +32% | — |
| 14 | University of North TexasTX · Bachelor's | $49,063 n=18 | — | $20,500 | 0.42× | Above +37% | — |
| 15 | Sam Houston State UniversityTX · Bachelor's | $48,568 n=22 | — | $26,000 | 0.54× | Above +36% | Below 1/2 |
| 16 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteNC · Bachelor's | $48,518 n=24 | — | $21,500 | 0.44× | Above +41% | — |
| 17 | Hofstra UniversityNY · Bachelor's | $48,086 n=16 | — | $23,250 | 0.48× | Above +26% | — |
| 18 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMN · Bachelor's | $48,069 n=20 | — | $19,500 | 0.41× | Above +20% | — |
| 19 | Fordham UniversityNY · Bachelor's | $47,036 n=32 | 56% | $25,000 | 0.53× | Above +24% | Below 1/2 |
| 20 | California State University-Long BeachCA · Bachelor's | $46,387 n=27 | — | $20,500 | 0.44× | Above +21% | Below 1/2 |
| 21 | University of California-RiversideCA · Bachelor's | $45,804 n=17 | — | — | — | Above +19% | — |
| 22 | Western Michigan UniversityMI · Bachelor's | $45,108 n=30 | — | $27,000 | 0.60× | Above +29% | Below 1/2 |
| 23 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroNC · Bachelor's | $45,084 n=35 | 40% 1yr | $25,000 | 0.56× | Above +31% | Below 1/2 |
| 24 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA · Bachelor's | $44,858 n=18 | — | — | — | Above +17% | — |
| 25 | San Francisco State UniversityCA · Bachelor's | $44,627 n=18 | — | $23,000 | 0.52× | Above +16% | — |
| 26 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionAZ · Bachelor's | $43,987 n=29 | 88% 5yr | $23,393 | 0.53× | Above +20% | Clears 2/2 |
| 27 | East Carolina UniversityNC · Bachelor's | $42,785 n=21 | — | $27,000 | 0.63× | Above +25% | — |
| 28 | University of FloridaFL · Bachelor's | $42,624 n=22 | — | $15,951 | 0.37× | Above +26% | Below 1/2 |
| 29 | Columbia College ChicagoIL · Bachelor's | $41,842 n=39 | 54% | $27,000 | 0.65× | Above +11% | Below 1/2 |
| 30 | Anderson UniversityIN · Bachelor's | $41,772 n=19 | — | $27,000 | 0.65× | Above +12% | — |
| 31 | Mercyhurst UniversityPA · Bachelor's | $41,049 n=22 | — | $26,500 | 0.65× | Above +9% | — |
| 32 | Florida State UniversityFL · Bachelor's | $40,892 n=22 | — | $21,250 | 0.52× | Above +21% | — |
| 33 | Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaPA · Bachelor's | $40,797 n=28 | — | $27,000 | 0.66× | Above +8% | Below 1/2 |
| 34 | SUNY BrockportNY · Bachelor's | $40,516 n=27 | 76% 5yr | $21,500 | 0.53× | Above +7% | Clears 2/2 |
| 35 | University of California-IrvineCA · Bachelor's | $40,466 n=17 | — | $20,080 | 0.50× | Above +5% | Below 1/2 |
| 36 | Pace UniversityNY · Bachelor's | $39,716 n=43 | — | $27,000 | 0.68× | Above +4% | Below 1/2 |
| 37 | University at BuffaloNY · Bachelor's | $39,576 n=22 | — | $20,446 | 0.52× | Above +4% | — |
| 38 | Montclair State UniversityNJ · Bachelor's | $39,064 n=46 | — | $26,776 | 0.69× | Below -2% | Below 2/2 |
| 39 | New York UniversityNY · Bachelor's | $38,571 n=33 | — | $23,004 | 0.60× | Above +1% | Below 1/2 |
| 40 | Marymount Manhattan CollegeNY · Bachelor's | $38,227 n=50 | 44% | $26,595 | 0.70× | Above +0% | Below 1/2 |
| 41 | Minnesota State University-MankatoMN · Bachelor's | $37,959 n=16 | — | $26,100 | 0.69× | Below -5% | — |
| 42 | Point Park UniversityPA · Bachelor's | $37,205 n=59 | 44% | $27,000 | 0.73× | Below -1% | Below 2/2 |
| 43 | University of Nevada-Las VegasNV · Bachelor's | $36,925 n=17 | — | $21,625 | 0.59× | Below -2% | — |
| 44 | George Mason UniversityVA · Bachelor's | $36,901 n=22 | — | $26,950 | 0.73× | Below -3% | — |
| 45 | Dean CollegeMA · Bachelor's | $36,644 n=63 | 33% | $27,000 | 0.74× | Below -16% | Below 2/2 |
| 46 | Temple UniversityPA · Bachelor's | $36,524 n=16 | — | $27,000 | 0.74× | Below -3% | Below 2/2 |
| 47 | DeSales UniversityPA · Bachelor's | $36,515 n=16 | — | $27,000 | 0.74× | Below -3% | Below 2/2 |
| 48 | University of California-Los AngelesCA · Bachelor's | $36,277 n=19 | — | $19,309 | 0.53× | Below -6% | — |
| 49 | Berklee College of MusicMA · Bachelor's | $35,702 n=30 | — | $27,000 | 0.76× | Below -18% | — |
| 50 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA · Bachelor's | $35,288 n=19 | — | $22,750 | 0.65× | Below -8% | Below 2/2 |
| 51 | Ball State UniversityIN · Bachelor's | $34,518 n=16 | — | — | — | Below -8% | — |
| 52 | Oklahoma City UniversityOK · Bachelor's | $34,105 n=39 | 44% | $24,100 | 0.71× | Below -4% | Below 2/2 |
| 53 | University of ArizonaAZ · Bachelor's | $34,010 n=18 | — | $19,875 | 0.58× | Below -8% | — |
| 54 | University of South FloridaFL · Bachelor's | $33,269 n=21 | — | $21,927 | 0.66× | Below -1% | Below 2/2 |
| 55 | University of North Carolina School of the ArtsNC · Bachelor's | $32,463 n=40 | — | $22,454 | 0.69× | Below -5% | Below 2/2 |
| 56 | Belhaven UniversityMS · Bachelor's | $32,324 n=21 | — | $22,500 | 0.70× | Below -2% | Below 2/2 |
| 57 | SUNY at Purchase CollegeNY · Bachelor's | $30,406 n=47 | 38% | $26,000 | 0.85× | Below -20% | Below 2/2 |
| 58 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeWI · Bachelor's | $29,695 n=24 | — | $25,742 | 0.87× | Below -24% | — |
| 59 | University of Missouri-Kansas CityMO · Bachelor's | $28,834 n=18 | — | $18,800 | 0.65× | Below -19% | — |
| 60 | CUNY Lehman CollegeNY · Bachelor's | $23,522 n=22 | — | — | — | Below -38% | — |
% > threshold is ED's own share of graduates earning above the federal earnings threshold, taken from the best available measurement window (4-, 5- or 1-year) pooled across all nine College Scorecard Field-of-Study releases; a chip marks any figure not on the 4-year window. Earnings premium compares median earnings four years out to the U.S. Census ACS median for a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or bachelor's-degree holder (graduate credentials) in the institution's state. 2 of 3 yrs flags programs below that benchmark in two of the latest three reported cohort-years — the statutory trigger under the 2025 federal earnings-premium test (effective July 1, 2026). Indicative estimates; the Department of Education's official determination may differ. Figures lag the current year by 2–3 years.
| State | Median earn 4yr | Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $53,057 | 5 |
| California | $44,858 | 9 |
| North Carolina | $43,934 | 4 |
| Florida | $41,758 | 4 |
| New York | $39,716 | 11 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,001 | 6 |
States with at least 3 reporting Dance programs, by median graduate earnings.
Which colleges have the highest-paying Dance programs?
By median earnings four years after completion, the highest-paying Dance programs in this dataset are Saint Mary's College of California ($89,283), New York University ($64,507), University of Iowa ($60,188). Earnings reflect College Scorecard field-of-study data (2024-25) and vary by credential level and location.
Are Dance programs at risk under the federal earnings-premium test?
Indicatively, 22 of the 60 Dance programs with both earnings and a state/national benchmark have median graduate earnings below the earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026), under which a program can lose Title IV eligibility if its graduates earn less than a typical worker without the credential for 2 of 3 years. This estimate uses College Scorecard earnings vs U.S. Census ACS medians; the Department of Education's official determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.
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Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard Field of Study, 2014–15 through 2022–23 cohorts plus the most-recent snapshot (2024-25); threshold pass-rates pooled across all nine releases. Earnings-premium benchmarks from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS). Compiled by Ibex Insights. See the methodology.