For many high school students, college is the first step towards a professional dance career—and whether you’re planning to concentrate on modern or ballet, it’s vital to choose a program tailored to your particular goals. Below is an introduction the top college dance programs across the United States, from Juilliard to Florida State.
To find a dance program that’s the right fit, start by considering whether you’re more interested in getting a BA or BFA. It’s also a good idea to research the genres and techniques each school specializes in, as well as the program’s philosophy. Other important questions: Are master classes available for students? Are there opportunities for student choreography? Who are some recent guest choreographers? How many technique classes do students take per week? Is there a dance showcase for graduating seniors? Does the university help with job placement after graduation?
Based on these criteria, we compiled a list of the top college dance programs in the U.S. Each program is analyzed based on three categories: which techniques and skills they teach, how many opportunities students have to perform, and how well they prepare their students to dance professionally after graduation. From the University of Arizona to NYU, these are the 10 colleges every young dancer should have on their radar.
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- Ailey/Fordham University
- University of Arizona
- Boston Conservatory at Berklee
- Florida State University
- The Juilliard School
- New York University
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)
- Oklahoma City University
- Point Park University
- University of Utah
- Honorable Mention: Pace University
Skill-building: What’s unique about Ailey/Fordham? It’s a BFA program partnership between the Ailey School and Fordham University, allowing students to enroll full-time at both schools and take 14-17 dance technique and creative classes per week. Students are trained daily in ballet and modern dance (Horton or Graham technique). Other courses include somatic classes, improvisation, dance composition, modern partnering, jazz, hip-hop, and West African dance. The Ailey School also offers on-site physical therapy and a dance video and research library.
Performance opportunities: BFA students dance in two fall shows and at a spring benefit concert. Seniors also dance in New York City-area venues with the Ailey Fordham Student Dancers, a touring repertory ensemble—and with BFA director approval, students may dance with local professional dance companies.
Post-college prep: Students in their final year can perform at various venues in the greater NYC area, as well as two fall performances of senior choreography and two spring senior concerts. All students also have the opportunity to audition for professional division workshops during the school year, provided they meet selection criteria.
Notable alumni: Taeler Cyrus, Clement Mensah, Alia Kache
How to Become a Dancer Skill-building: The University of Arizona’s dance program is structured on a “triple track” curriculum, with equal emphasis on ballet, modern, and jazz. Tap, African dance, choreography, and improvisation classes are also available. The program offers an emphasis in one or two areas during junior and senior years. As for studio work, the ensemble has performed the work of Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, and George Balanchine. Students also have the opportunity to earn another degree alongside their BFA in dance (in the past, these have ranged from business to mechanical engineering).
Performance opportunities: The school of dance has a full performance season, running from September through May and featuring more than 40 performances per year. Unique performance opportunities include international engagements in Italy, Germany, and Mexico, national performances at the Joyce Theatre in NYC and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and local performances with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
Post-college prep: Guest artists visit campus every year to set choreography or teach class to give dancers a better idea of their career goals. Rehearsals always operate in a professional setting, and students also learn career preparation, how to work with musicians, and technical production skills.
Notable alumni: Alex McBride, Mindy Moeller, Ashley Lafferty
Skill-building: Boston Conservatory focuses its curriculum on ballet and modern dance, but students are also exposed to areas like jazz dance, hip-hop, pointe, improvisation, African dance, musical theater dance, and swing dance. Near the end of a student’s sophomore year, they must declare an emphasis in either ballet, modern, jazz, composition, or pedagogy (teaching).
Performance opportunities: The annual dance season is made up of four fully produced mainstage shows. These shows include a mix of guest artists’ original works and choreography, choreography by senior dance majors, choreography by sophomore and junior dance majors, masterworks, and guest artist choreography for freshmen.
Post-college prep: The school hosts guest artists-in-residency and allows for student networking opportunities. It also offers a year-long senior seminar that discusses how to transition into the industry post-graduation. Boston Conservatory is also offering a new creative entrepreneurship minor in partnership with Berklee.
Notable alumni: Ebony Williams, Kurt Douglas, David Glista
Going to College for Dance vs. Going Pro Right Away Skill-building: Florida State’s BFA dance program hones in on performance and choreography, as well as pedagogy, history, and aesthetic. Other courses include music and choreography, composition, movement analysis, and production. Potential students should note that before advancing to the next level of any studio technique, dancers must demonstrate a certain level of progress or retake the course. The school also offers dance study abroad programs in both Paris and Valencia, Spain, featuring master classes and courses in dance history.
Performance opportunities: Every year, the school of dance produces the Day of Dance and Evening of Dance concert series on its main stage, as well as a selection of master thesis projects. The school also hosts smaller performances in its black box studio.
Post-college prep: Dance at Florida State offers multiple opportunities for students to be exposed to the industry, including a semester in NYC featuring classes, performances, and internship opportunities at the likes of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and the Merce Cunningham Trust. At the main campus, students also attend regular dance forums—including lectures by industry professionals—throughout their undergraduate careers.
Notable alumni: Lela Aisha Jones, Yeman Brown, Jawole Zollar
Skill-building: Juilliard students study four years of ballet technique (courses include pointe and classical partnering), various modern techniques (including Graham, Limon, and Cunningham), contact improvisation, repertory, and contemporary partnering, as well as jazz, tap, and hip-hop. Freshmen are also offered one-on-one sessions in Alexander Technique.
Performance opportunities: About 30 annual performances are produced by Juilliard’s dance division, including a New Dances series showcasing each class of students in a new work created for them by a choreographer. Dancers perform in established works during the spring Juilliard Dances Repertory series, and the annual Choreographers and Composers concert features a collaboration between six student choreographers and student composers. Each year’s senior production spotlights works by senior choreographers.
Post-college prep: Graduating seniors take a yearlong seminar about the industry, including advice for professional auditions and objective self-evaluation. In their senior production course, students learn to plan, budget, and present a full production.
Notable alumni: Robert Battle, Paul Taylor, Sylvia Waters
Skill-building: Students hit the ground running in NYU’s BFA dance program, which centers on a three-year and two-summer curriculum. First-year courses focus on learning to dance healthily and efficiently with technique classes on placement and alignment. Second-year classes emphasize dance history, acting, improvisation, and music literature. And a student’s third-year training incorporates what they’ve learned into choreography and staged performance.
Performance opportunities: Major dance works are choreographed annually by faculty and guest choreographers. Students also have the opportunity to perform work from their composition classes in studio theater concerts, as well as repertory classes and performance workshops. Dance majors in their final year perform as ensemble members in NYU Tisch’s Second Avenue Dance Company, where four guest choreographers create new work or stage masterworks. Seniors can also showcase their own choreography in concerts throughout the year.
Post-college prep: Many NYU faculty members are currently working in the industry. Students also learn from and network with professional dancers through the Second Avenue Dance Company their senior year.
Notable alumni: Kyle Abraham, Denis Jones, Ryan Vandenboom
3 Ways to Nail a College Dance AuditionSkill-building: UNCSA School of Dance students can graduate with a degree in either classical ballet or contemporary dance, though they can train in both concentrations. Other classes for dance majors focus on technique, composition, improvisation, somatic practices, choreography, music, dance history, pedagogy, business, and production.
Performance opportunities: The school puts on four major performance series annually—the fall, winter, and spring dances, plus the Nutcracker. Standalone fully produced student choreography shows include Emerging Choreographers, Pluck Project, and Spree; UNCSA also hosts repertory class workshop performances three times a year.
Post-college prep: Dance majors are required to enroll in a business perspectives class that takes them through résumé writing, networking, video reels, money management, contracts, and other real-world industry skills.
Notable alumni: Camille A. Brown, Juel D. Lane, Kevin Tate
Skill-building: Oklahoma City University’s four degree tracks include dance performance, dance management, American dance teacher pedagogy, and the entertainment business. For performance majors, the school hones in on musical theater and commercial dance, offering types of jazz dance like musical theater, lyrical, contemporary, classical, and hip-hop. Extensive tap courses are also offered, as well as ballet, pointe, and partnering.
Performance opportunities: Dancers can audition for the American Spirit Dance Company, the school’s holiday show, a Broadway-style revue in the spring, opera productions, musicals, and other on-campus dance companies.
Post-college prep: Students receive training in basic theatrical management, production, choreography, and teaching skills. In addition, they learn about employer expectations, legal issues in the entertainment industry, auditioning, and career preparation.
Notable alumni: Sasha Hutching, Kim Faure, Kristin Richardson
Skill-building: Point Park in Pittsburgh offers a conservatory-style program that requires students to take classes in all disciplines of dance—including classical ballet, modern techniques, and jazz. Courses in tap, kinesiology, dance history, and nutrition for dancers are also available. Students can choose a ballet, modern, or jazz concentration, and they receive both middle- and end-of-term evaluations from faculty members.
Performance opportunities: Each year, Point Park invites between eight and 10 guest artists to create or re-stage a work for students to perform. The school’s production season also includes pieces ranging from the masterworks of George Balanchine and Martha Graham to the work of choreographers like Stefanie Batten Bland and Dwight Rhoden. The school also has a relationship with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and other local dance companies.
Post-college prep: Point Park’s capstone course, “Entrepreneurship in the Arts,” teaches dancers about the business of the profession, from marketing and networking to grant writing. Each dance major also has a dance advisor to offer input on training and career advice.
Notable alumni include: Rob Ashford, Cheryl Mann, Luke Murphy
Skill-building: University of Utah dance majors focus on either ballet or modern dance. Students are enrolled in daily technique classes, alongside training in areas like composition, dance kinesiology, dance history, philosophy, criticism, theater, and video production.
Performance opportunities: Majors can perform or showcase their choreography in an average of five fully-produced performances per year. Depending on a student’s modern or ballet focus, there are a host of performance opportunities available. The school’s Performance Dance Company hosts two seasons of shows per year, and the school’s resident ballet company, Utah Ballet, presents an annual 16 performances in two series. Ballet students can also participate in opportunities like Ballet West’s pre-professional trainee program, plus the ballet ensemble and showcase.
Post-college prep: The school invites guest artists like Calvin Kitten, Jeremy Blanton, and Roni Mahler to teach master classes on campus and network with its students.
Notable alumni include: Bart Robinson Cook, Victoria Morgan, Jiang Qi
Skill-building: At Pace, dance students undergo conservatory-style training alongside a liberal arts education. The school offers ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, theater dance, aerial arts, choreography, and more. One unique highlight? Students travel to Los Angeles to study on-camera dance and choreography with choreographer Mandy Moore and other L.A.-based professionals—culminating in a local showcase to introduce them to industry players on the West Coast.
Performance opportunities: Pace hosts two annual main stage performances, as well as choreography showcases to round out the year. Students can also perform in student-produced or directed shows on campus.
Post-college prep: Pace aims to connect students to the dance industry on both the East and West Coasts through the school’s central location and its L.A. program. Seniors take seminar classes and perform in a senior showcase. “Nearly 100 percent of the graduates have agents when they graduate,” says Rhonda Miller, associate professor and director of commercial dance.
Notable alumni: Spencer Clark, Briana Pavon, Zelig Williams
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*A previous version of this article stated that Nora Chipaumire is an alumnus of Florida State University’s School of Dance. Chipaumire was actually an artist-in-residence but never attended as a student.
