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Ballet

Types of Degrees Ballet Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	43
Master’s Degree	2

What Ballet Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Ballet 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

Skills developed in a Ballet 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 Ballet 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, Ballet 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 Ballet professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Visual Studio	Development environment software	—
Autodesk Maya	Computer aided design CAD software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Ballet graduates include:

• Dance Instructor
• Theater Professor
• Drama Teacher
• Ceramics Teacher
• Drama Professor
• Piano Professor
• Dancing Teacher
• Music Lecturer
• Piano Pedagogy Professor
• University Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Dance Professor
• Music Theory Teacher
• Media Arts Professor
• Makeup Artistry Instructor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Ballet 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 Ballet?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 82.2% of Ballet degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	37	82.2%
Men	8	17.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	35	77.8%
Asian	1	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	2	4.4%
Two or More Races	6	13.3%
Race Unknown	1	2.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Ballet Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Ballet 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.}

Is a Degree in Ballet Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Ballet 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
Dance	50.03
Dance, General	50.0301
Dance, Other	50.0399
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Acting	50.0506
Art History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703
Art/Art Studies, General	50.0701
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management, General	50.1001
Brass Instruments	50.0914
Ceramic Arts and Ceramics	50.0711

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.