Dance: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 50.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 513 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 55 | 172 | $28,406 | $28,839 | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 85 | 181 | $22,117 | $30,547 | $12,000 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 289 | 2,685 | $28,513 | $39,980 | $24,571 50 programs |
| Master's degree | 68 | 202 | $42,016 | $55,404 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 5 | 11 | Data unavailable | $65,309 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 11 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas State University TX · Public · 58 graduates measured | $43,011 | $53,057 | $21,937 |
| Stephen F Austin State University TX · Public · 22 graduates measured | $41,482 | $57,593 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $37,405 | $36,277 | Data unavailable |
| Pace University NY · Private, nonprofit · 39 graduates measured | $37,158 | $39,716 | $19,500 |
| Florida State University FL · Public · 19 graduates measured | $36,927 | $40,892 | Data unavailable |
| Winthrop University SC · Public · 17 graduates measured | $35,763 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $35,350 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Nevada-Las Vegas NV · Public · 22 graduates measured | $35,048 | $36,925 | Data unavailable |
| Muhlenberg College PA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $34,496 | $56,503 | $26,000 |
| The Juilliard School NY · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $33,914 | $50,287 | $22,498 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $33,432 | $29,695 | $26,525 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 28 graduates measured | $33,140 | $43,987 | $14,500 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $32,039 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Utah Valley University UT · Public · 18 graduates measured | $31,798 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Marymount Manhattan College NY · Private, nonprofit · 53 graduates measured | $31,726 | $38,227 | $27,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $49,380 | $64,507 | Data unavailable |
| Texas Woman's University TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $39,235 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Dance
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary | $78,620 | +2.2% | Master's degree |
| Dancers | Data unavailable | +2.2% | No formal educational credential |
| Choreographers | $55,310 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (3)
- 50.0301 Dance, General
- 50.0302 Ballet
- 50.0399 Dance, Other