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2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

18 Ranked Colleges
322 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Dance is the 161st most popular major in the country with 3,397 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, dance graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $20,940 and had an average of $26,168 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 504 dance graduates with average earnings and debt of $17,450 and $21,542 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 322 dance graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in dance. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great dance programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the dance program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The dance school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Dance in California (With Aid)

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Fullerton Dance Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s dance students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Dance at UC Irvine

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s dance students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Dance at California State University - Long Beach

#4

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s dance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Dance Report

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #5 spot on the list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s dance degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,871 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Dance at University of California - Riverside

#6

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s dance degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Dance at San Jose State University

#11 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 7 bachelors’s dance degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #11 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Dance at UCSD

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid list, SDSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Dance at SDSU

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Dance at University of California - Berkeley

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s dance students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Dance Report

#11

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s dance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid list, SFSU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Dance at San Francisco State University

#12

Mills College

Oakland, California
#16 in overall quality

Mills College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Mills College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mills also made our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Mills is $22,202 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Mills Dance Report

#13

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s dance degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend USC is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Dance at University of Southern California

#14

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, California

Dominican University of California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in San Rafael, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s dance degrees in 2019-2020.

DUofC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University of California is $32,978 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Dance at DUofC

#12 in overall quality

Saint Mary’s College of California ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Moraga, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s dance students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SMC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Mary’s College of California is $34,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Dance at SMC

#16

Chapman University

Orange, California

With a ranking of #16, Chapman University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Chapman University is located in Orange, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s dance degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chapman, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chapman is $41,350 for California Bachelor’s Degree Dance students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Dance at Chapman

#17

Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Marymount is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Marymount, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Marymount is $42,861 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Loyola Marymount University Dance Report

#18

California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, California

California Institute of the Arts did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Dance Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. CalArts is located in Valencia, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s dance degrees to qualified students.

CalArts also took the #6 spot in our “Best Dance Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CalArts is $50,412 for california bachelor’s degree dance students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Dance at California Institute of the Arts

Notes and References

References

  • 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 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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