Dance
Visual & Performing Arts
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,227 | $31,999 to $45,108 | 73 | 59% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +3% (2025 to 2035), about 8,600 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $78,620 | +2.2% | 8,000 |
| Choreographers | $55,310 | +3.1% | 600 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a dance program, of 306 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of the Arts
- Point Park University
- New York University
- University of Utah
- University of California-Irvine
- University of Florida
- California State University-Long Beach
- SUNY at Purchase College
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.