The List of All U.S Colleges With a Dance Major (2023)

Dance is an ancient form of expression that can be found in all shapes and sizes in cultures all over the globe and throughout millennia. It requires the artistic vision of the creative arts, yet also the physical demand of sport. If you’re thinking of studying dance in college, prepare to approach dance both intellectually as well as physically, and to receive many health benefits!

Why Should You Study Dance in College?

Enrolling in a traditional higher-education institution and pursuing a dance program of study will generally offer you a much broader starting point than if you were to enroll in a conservatory or pre-professional program for dance. To begin with, there are the classes and credits that you are frequently required to take outside of your major, whether you attend a liberal arts college or a university. Undergraduate dance programs are also usually designed to offer interdisciplinary perspectives on dance, such as historical, cultural, aesthetic, theoretical, and scientific.

Maybe you are passionate about dance but don’t want to be “locked into” a career path as a dancer. The truth is that many student don’t even end up working in the same industry as their college major, especially if it’s a liberal arts major in the humanities or arts, such as dance. A degree in dance from a traditional college will open up many opportunities in the performing arts, and not only in the performance role. Careers in the offstage dance and performance industry are plentiful and never dull.

Dance majors frequently take on management or arts administration roles, applying their knowledge of the industry and their communication skills. They can also become choreographers, dance instructors, publicists, or work in marketing for dance companies and organizations.

Of course, your options are not limited to the above. Never feel that you’ll be stuck in the performing arts industry; you can always branch out and forge a new path with your experience in dance and the knowledge and skills you’ve reaped from your other classes.

How Can You Increase Your Chances of Acceptance?

Whether you’re planning on studying dance or physics at college, a strong academic record is key to increasing your chances of acceptance. Colleges want to know that you will be able to excel not only in your program, but as a general student at their institution. This is also a good starting point to show your interest in dance; if your high school offers them, consider taking performing arts electives.

Outside of academics, perhaps you may want to join (or even create) a dance team, or work as crew for an upcoming dance or theater production. You can start a YouTube channel focused on your technique and performance, or use other social media to find dancers in your local area to choreograph and perform your own pieces.

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What Colleges Have a Dance Major?

Adelphi University

Adrian College

Agnes Scott College

Alabama State University | ASU

Albany State University

American University

Amherst College

Anderson University (Indiana)

Anderson University (South Carolina)

Appalachian State University

Arizona State University | ASU

Atlanta Metropolitan State College | AMSC

Austin Peay State University | APSU

Ball State University | BSU

Bard College

Barnard College

Bates College

Belhaven University

Beloit College

Bennington College

Berklee College of Music | Berklee

Bowling Green State University | BGSU

Brenau University

Bridgewater State University

Brigham Young University | BYU

Brigham Young University–Idaho | BYU–Idaho

Bryn Mawr College

Butler University

California Institute of the Arts | Cal Arts

California State University Channel Islands | CSU Channel Islands

California State University, Dominguez Hills | CSUDH

California State University, East Bay | CSU East Bay

California State University, Fresno | CSU Fresno

California State University, Fullerton | CSU Fullerton

California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State

California State University, Sacramento | Sacramento State

California State University, San Bernardino | CSUSB

Case Western Reserve University

Cedar Crest College

Central Connecticut State University | CCSU

Central Washington University | CWU

Chapman University

Clemson University

Coker College

College of Charleston

College of Wooster

Colorado College

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado State University | CSU

Columbia College (South Carolina)

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University

Connecticut College

Coppin State University

Cornell College

Dean College

Denison University

DePaul University

DeSales University

Dickinson College

Dixie State University | DSU

Dominican University of California

Drexel University

Duke University

East Carolina University | ECU

East Tennessee State University | ETSU

Eastern Michigan University | EMU

Elon University

Empire State College

Evergreen State College

Florida Southern College

Florida State University | FSU

Fort Valley State University | FVSU

Franklin and Marshall College | F&M

Friends University

Frostburg State University

George Mason University

George Washington University | GW

Georgian Court University | GCU

Gonzaga University

Goucher College

Grand Canyon University | GCU

Grand Valley State University | GVSU

Grinnell College

Gustavus Adolphus College

Hamilton College

Hampshire College

Harvard University

High Point University

Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS

Hollins University

Hope College

Howard University

Humboldt State University | HSU

Hunter College | CUNY Hunter

Illinois State University | ISU

Indiana University Bloomington | Indiana

Indiana University of Pennsylvania | IUP

Jacksonville University

James Madison University | JMU

Kennesaw State University | KSU

Kent State University

Kenyon College

Lake Erie College

Lehman College | CUNY Lehman

Lindenwood University

Loyola Marymount University | LMU

Loyola University Chicago

Macalester College

Madonna University

Marymount Manhattan College

Mercyhurst University

Messiah College

Metropolitan State University of Denver | MSU Denver

Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU

Middlebury College

Mills College

Minnesota State University, Mankato | MNSU

Missouri State University | MSU

Missouri Valley College

Montclair State University | MSU

Morehouse College

Mount Holyoke College

Muhlenberg College

New College of Florida

New York University | NYU

North Carolina Central University | NCCU

North Carolina State University | NC State

Northeastern University

Northwest University

Northwestern University

Nova Southeastern University | NSU

Oberlin College

Oklahoma City University | OCU

Old Dominion University | ODU

Oregon Institute of Technology | Oregon Tech

Pacific University

Palm Beach Atlantic University | PBA

Pennsylvania State University | PSU

Point Park University

Pomona College

Radford University

Reed College

Rhode Island College | RIC

Rider University

Rockford University

Roosevelt University

Rowan University

Rutgers University–New Brunswick | Rutgers

Saint Mary’s College of California | St. Mary’s

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | SMU

Salem State University

Sam Houston State University | SHSU

San Diego State University | SDSU

San Jose State University | SJSU

Sarah Lawrence College

Savannah State University

Scripps College

Seton Hill University

Sewanee: The University of the South | Sewanee

Shenandoah University

Skidmore College

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | SRU

Smith College

Southeast Missouri State University | SEMO

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | SIUE

Southern Methodist University | SMU

Southern Utah University | SUU

Spelman College

Springfield College

St. Johns River State College

St. Olaf College

State University of New York at Fredonia | SUNY Fredonia

State University of New York at Potsdam | SUNY Potsdam

State University of New York at Purchase | SUNY Purchase

Stephen F. Austin State University | SFA

Stephens College

Swarthmore College

Temple University

Texas Christian University | TCU

Texas State University

Texas Woman’s University | TWU

The College at Brockport, State University of New York | SUNY Brockport

The Ohio State University | OSU

The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo

Troy University (Alabama)

Tulane University

University of Akron

University of Alabama

University of Arizona

University of Arkansas at Little Rock | UA Little Rock

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley

University of California, Davis | UC Davis

University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles | UCLA

University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside

University of California, San Diego | UCSD

University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB

University of Central Oklahoma | UCO

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado Boulder | CU Boulder

University of Dayton

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Hawaii at Hilo | UH Hilo

University of Hawaii at Manoa | UH Manoa

University of Houston

University of Idaho

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign | UIUC

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of Louisiana at Lafayette | UL Lafayette

University of Maine at Farmington | UMF

University of Maryland, Baltimore County | UMBC

University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland

University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst

University of Michigan

University of Michigan–Flint | UofM-Flint

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota

University of Missouri–Kansas City | UMKC

University of Montana

University of Nebraska–Lincoln | UNL

University of Nevada, Las Vegas | UNLV

University of New Hampshire | UNH

University of New Mexico | UNM

University of North Carolina at Charlotte | UNC Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Greensboro | UNC Greensboro

University of North Carolina School of the Arts | UNCSA

University of North Texas | UNT

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of South Carolina | USC

University of South Florida | USF

University of Southern California | USC

University of Southern Mississippi | Southern Miss

University of Tampa | UT

University of Texas at Austin | UT Austin

University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP

University of the Arts | UArts

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin-Madison | Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | UW–Green Bay

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | UWM

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point

Ursinus College

Utah Valley University | UVU

Valdosta State University | VSU

Washington University in St. Louis | WashU

Weber State University

Webster University

Wesleyan University

West Texas A&M University | WTAMU

West Virginia University | WVU

Western Kentucky University | WKU

Western Michigan University | WMU

Western Oregon University | WOU

Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

Westminster College (Utah)

Whitworth University

Wichita State University | WSU

Winthrop University | WU

Wright State University

Youngstown State University

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!