Best programs to become a dancer
You do not need a college degree to become a dancer. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Dance; Musical Theatre; and Theatre and Dance (IPEDS completions).
5 college programs at 374 schools train dancers, graduating 4,426 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $24.80/hr (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About dancers
Perform dances. May perform on stage, for broadcasting, or for video recording.
Best programs to study to become a dancer
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dance, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0301 | 2,917 | 65.9% | 290 | $21,877 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0509 | 1,212 | 27.4% | 123 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 3 | Dance, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0399 | 160 | 3.6% | 26 | $21,877 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 50.0512 | 97 | 2.2% | 11 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 5 | Balletmain feeder CIP 50.0302 | 40 | 0.9% | 4 | $21,877 | $25,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 172 | Musical Theatre | 72% | $40,932 | 24% |
| 2 | Berklee College of Music Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 132 | Musical Theatre | 67% | $46,197 | 44% |
| 3 | Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 88 | Dance, General | 59% | $23,704 | 97% |
| 4 | Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 87 | Musical Theatre | 49% | $34,258 | 83% |
| 5 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 2 feeder programs | 78 | Musical Theatre | 75% | — | 80% |
| 6 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 65 | Dance, General | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 7 | SUNY at Purchase College Purchase, NY Public · 2 feeder programs | 61 | Dance, General | 63% | — | 74% |
| 8 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 60 | Dance, General | 87% | — | 29% |
| 9 | Pace University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 57 | Dance, General | 60% | $29,994 | 76% |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 57 | Theatre and Dance | 89% | — | 27% |
| 11 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 52 | Musical Theatre | 52% | $28,087 | 89% |
| 12 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 51 | Dance, General | 69% | — | 46% |
| 13 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 51 | Dance, General | 68% | — | 86% |
| 14 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 47 | Dance, General | 55% | — | 89% |
| 15 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 46 | Musical Theatre | 35% | $21,085 | 97% |
| 16 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 44 | Dance, General | 45% | — | — |
| 17 | The Ailey School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 42 | Dance, General | 84% | $29,991 | 32% |
| 18 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 42 | Musical Theatre | 93% | — | 16% |
| 19 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 2 feeder programs | 39 | Ballet | 65% | — | 86% |
| 20 | Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 38 | Dance, General | 55% | — | 90% |
| 21 | The New School New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 38 | Musical Theatre | 69% | $54,185 | 63% |
| 22 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts Winston Salem, NC Public · 1 feeder program | 38 | Dance, General | 78% | — | 30% |
| 23 | Dean College Franklin, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 37 | Dance, General | 54% | $28,874 | 74% |
| 24 | Bennington College Bennington, VT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 36 | Dance, General | 71% | $27,554 | 45% |
| 25 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Musical Theatre | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 26 | Aria University Milpitas, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 35 | Dance, General | — | — | 100% |
| 27 | Montclair State University Montclair, NJ Public · 1 feeder program | 35 | Dance, General | 65% | — | 88% |
| 28 | Chapman University Orange, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 33 | Dance, General | 82% | $42,965 | 65% |
| 29 | Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA Public · 1 feeder program | 33 | Dance, General | 52% | — | 69% |
| 30 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 3 feeder programs | 33 | Musical Theatre | 58% | — | 85% |
| 31 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 32 | Dance, General | 93% | — | 9% |
| 32 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 31 | Musical Theatre | 65% | — | 85% |
| 33 | Elon University Elon, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Dance, General | 84% | $33,688 | 66% |
| 34 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 3 feeder programs | 30 | Dance, General | 80% | — | 78% |
| 35 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Dance, General | 76% | — | 36% |
| 36 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 29 | Dance, General | 82% | $38,931 | 59% |
| 37 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 29 | Dance, General | 91% | — | 24% |
| 38 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 28 | Musical Theatre | 84% | $28,851 | 46% |
| 39 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 28 | Musical Theatre | 86% | $25,823 | 44% |
| 40 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 28 | Dance, General | 49% | — | 96% |
| 41 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Dance, General | 75% | — | 77% |
| 42 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Dance, General | 81% | $13,712 | 68% |
| 43 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder program | 25 | Dance, General | 88% | — | 61% |
| 44 | The University of Tampa Tampa, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Musical Theatre | 64% | $33,070 | 40% |
| 45 | Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, OK Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 24 | Dance, General | 65% | $22,589 | 77% |
| 46 | The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Public · 1 feeder program | 24 | Dance, General | 73% | — | 77% |
| 47 | University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Dance, General | 51% | — | 96% |
| 48 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Dance, General | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 49 | Anderson University Anderson, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 23 | Musical Theatre | 66% | $24,812 | 55% |
| 50 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 23 | Dance, General | 68% | — | 90% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What dancers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
BLS publishes an hourly wage only for this occupation. The work is intermittent, so no annual figure is estimated.
States with the most of these jobs
BLS publishes no annual wage for this occupation, so these are ranked by employment.
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | — | 1,170 | 2.32× | 34 | 813 |
| California | — | 1,870 | 1.97× | 68 | 586 |
| Texas | — | 190 | 0.26× | 22 | 327 |
| Michigan | — | 140 | 0.61× | 12 | 140 |
| Utah | — | 180 | 1.93× | 7 | 137 |
| Florida | — | 210 | 0.41× | 8 | 134 |
| Arizona | — | 160 | 0.93× | 7 | 108 |
| Wisconsin | — | 200 | 1.32× | 6 | 75 |
| Missouri | — | 440 | 2.87× | 9 | 64 |
| Indiana | — | 140 | 0.86× | 7 | 58 |
| Tennessee | — | 150 | 0.86× | 6 | 29 |
| Minnesota | — | 160 | 1.06× | 5 | 28 |
| Nevadalimited | — | 430 | 5.34× | 2 | 26 |
| Kansas | — | — | — | 5 | 22 |
| Oregonmoderate | — | 70 | 0.67× | 4 | 22 |
| Hawaiilimited | — | 480 | 14.76× | 1 | 14 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Coordinate dancing with that of partners or dance ensembles.
- Develop self-understanding of physical capabilities and limitations, and choose dance styles accordingly.
- Perform classical, modern, or acrobatic dances in productions, expressing stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies.
- Collaborate with choreographers to refine or modify dance steps.
- Audition for dance roles or for membership in dance companies.
Skills
- Active Listening3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Writing2.5
- Learning Strategies2.5
Knowledge areas
- Fine Arts4.5
- English Language3.5
- Customer and Personal Service2.9
- Mathematics2.6
- Transportation2.5
- Psychology2.5
Abilities
- Gross Body Coordination4.8
- Extent Flexibility4.5
- Stamina4.3
- Dynamic Strength4.3
- Trunk Strength4.1
- Gross Body Equilibrium4.0
Core activities
- Performing General Physical Activities4.5
- Getting Information4.1
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.0
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.6
- Thinking Creatively3.4
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.2
How to get in
How to become a dancer
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 5 majors mapped to Dancers5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 50.0301Dance, General
- 50.0302Ballet
- 50.0399Dance, Other
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0512Theatre and Dance
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a dancer?+
You do not need a college degree to become a dancer. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry-level education. The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Dance; Musical Theatre; and Theatre and Dance (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a dancer?+
The fields of study that lead most directly to this job are Dance; Musical Theatre; and Theatre and Dance (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this job, which together graduate about 4,426 people a year.
How much do dancers earn?+
The median is $24.80 an hour (BLS OEWS May 2025). This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for dancers growing?+
BLS projects a +4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
374 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do dancers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Dancer, Ballet Dancer, Company Dancer, Soloist Dancer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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