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Dance

Types of Degrees Dance Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Dance have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	64
Associate’s Degree	181
Bachelor’s Degree	2,685
Master’s Degree	326
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Dance Majors Need to Know

Studies in Dance build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Dance graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Dance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Dance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Originality — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Dance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Getting Information	3.9 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dance professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Blackboard software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dance graduates include:

• Dance Instructor
• Arts Teacher
• Photography Teacher
• Drama Teacher
• Vocal Teacher
• Artist Instructor
• Art History Professor
• Open Rank Professor
• Studio Instructor
• Scene Design Lecturer
• Stagecraft Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Music Theory Professor
• Adjunct Art Instructor
• Arts and Crafts Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Dance graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	33.3%
Doctoral degree	20.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	13.9%
Bachelor’s degree	12.8%
Less than a high school diploma	7.3%
Postsecondary certificate	6.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.9%
Some college courses	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 89.9% of Dance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,943	89.9%
Men	331	10.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Dance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,828	55.8%
Asian	138	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	527	16.1%
Black or African American	356	10.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	216	6.6%
Race Unknown	54	1.6%
International Students	146	4.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Dance graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$23,231
4 years	$30,807
5 years	$34,462

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $34,462 — roughly 48% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Dance Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Dance. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	3	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Dance Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Dance graduates earn a median of $30,807 four years after completion — about 19% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Visual and Performing Arts	50
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	50.10
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	50.11
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry	50.02
Design and Applied Arts	50.04
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	50.05
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	50.06
Fine and Studio Arts	50.07
Music	50.09
Visual and Performing Arts, General	50.01
Visual and Performing Arts, Other	50.99
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS	50.00

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.