2025 Best Dance Schools in California
10
Colleges in California
498
Dance Degrees Awarded
$23,682
Avg Early-Career Salary
Dance isn't the most popular major in the world, but it's not the least popular either. To be more precise it ranks #158 in popularity out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for dance students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 498 degrees in dance to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Dance School
The dance program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Dance rankings. We derive our Best Overall Dance School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your Dance Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Dance Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Dance in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the dance degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Dance
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
University of California - Riverside is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in dance. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 28th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 16 dance students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in dance from University of California - Riverside
University of California - Irvine is a great option for students interested in a degree in dance. UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the large city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were approximately 55 dance students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the dance degree program at University of California - Irvine get $4,430 above the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in dance from University of California - Irvine
It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in dance. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were approximately 34 dance students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the dance program make an average of $19,787 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in dance from University of California - Los Angeles
It's difficult to beat University of Southern California if you wish to pursue a degree in dance. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were about 25 dance students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the dance program earn about $25,653 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in dance from University of Southern California
Chapman is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Orange. This university ranks 24th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 45 dance students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, dance degree recipients typically earn an average of $21,275 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in dance from Chapman University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In CA
Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 11 dance students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in dance from University of California - Santa Barbara
CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach. This university ranks 36th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 46 dance students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the dance program at California State University - Long Beach get $7,004 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in dance from California State University - Long Beach
Loyola Marymount is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 29th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 12 dance students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Marymount in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the dance program state that they receive average early career income of $19,107.
More information about a degree in dance from Loyola Marymount University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In CA
Located in the suburb of Valencia, CalArts is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
There were roughly 17 dance students who graduated with this degree at CalArts in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts
Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 41st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 29 dance students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the dance program earn an average of $24,087 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in dance from California State University - Fullerton
