2023 Best Dance Schools in California
Finding the Best Dance School for You
In 2020-2021, 483 degrees and certificates were awarded to dance students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #127 most popular major in the state.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
The Best Dance Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Dance Schools in California
Check out the dance programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Dance Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Berkeley the best school in California for dance students. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
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The excellent programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best dance schools in California. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent programs at Loyola Marymount University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best dance schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.
On average, dance graduates from Loyola Marymount take out $22,125 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Dance Schools in California list. San Jose State is a very large public school located in the city of San Jose.
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Out of the 16 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the # 5 spot on the list. UCSB is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.
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University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Dance Schools in California ranking. UC Irvine is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Irvine.
After completing their degree, dance graduates from UC Irvine carry an average student debtload of $19,500.
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University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best dance programs. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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University of California - Riverside landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best dance programs. UCR is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Riverside.
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Chapman University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Dance Schools in California ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Orange, Chapman is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that dance majors at Chapman take out is $25,913. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $643, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - Fullerton ranked #10 on this year’s Best Dance Schools in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Fullerton.
While working on their degree, dance majors at Cal State Fullerton accumulate an average of around $22,769 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Dance Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Dance Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 53 |
| Oregon | 20 |
| Nevada | 30 |
| Hawaii | 4 |
More Dance Rankings in California
Dance Related Rankings by Major
Dance is one of 10 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Majors Related to Dance
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fine & Studio Arts | 37,413 |
| Design & Applied Arts | 36,301 |
| Music | 25,910 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 17,341 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | 16,778 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jazzart Dance Theatre.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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