Updated March 2026 · College Scorecard data
Is Dance Worth It?
Dance lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 11 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. Across the field, median debt is $30K against $42K in first-year earnings — a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan.
Dance ROI at a Glance
lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 11 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The graduation-weighted average across reporting institutions is the cleanest single number for the field, but it hides the spread — top programs like Bennington College run far ahead of the bottom of the table. School choice within Dance matters because the major-level number is a starting point, not a prediction.
Earnings rise sharply from $42K in year 1 to $57K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. The five-year earnings trajectory is one of the strongest signals of long-run career fit; a flat curve suggests the major leads to roles where seniority does not pay off without graduate credentials, while a steep curve indicates fast skill compounding inside the field.
Best in field: Bennington College leads the field with a 62/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $26K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.63x. Worst in field: Brenau University sits at the bottom of the field with a 55/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $35K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.84x.
Debt-to-Income at the Field Level
At a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71x, Dance shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Federal financial-aid research uses the “8% rule” — monthly student loan payments under 8% of gross monthly income — which translates to debt below roughly 0.75x annual earnings on a standard 10-year plan. Programs running above 1.0x typically need income-driven repayment to stay current; above 1.5x, the math rarely works without forgiveness mechanics or an unusually steep career ramp. For borrower-rights and repayment guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the most accessible federal source.
Debt vs Earnings by School
Dance by School
| School | State | Median Debt | Year 1 Earnings | Year 5 Earnings | ROI Grade | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington College | Vt | $26K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| American Musical and Dramatic Academy | Ny | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Berklee College of Music | Ma | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| California Institute of the Arts | Ca | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Chapman University | Ca | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Coker University | Sc | $29K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Columbia College Chicago | Il | $28K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Columbia College | Sc | $31K | $42K | $57K | C | BUY |
| Belhaven University | Ms | $32K | $42K | $57K | C | CAUTION |
| Alabama State University | Al | $35K | $42K | $57K | C | CAUTION |
| Brenau University | Ga | $35K | $42K | $57K | C | CAUTION |
How Dance’s ROI Score Is Calculated
The Dance ROI Score is a weighted composite of five financial-aid signals: debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium over a high-school diploma (25%), 10-year BLS job-growth outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. the national average (10%). Each school + major combination is scored individually, then aggregated up to the field level. The grade thresholds (A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D ≥ 35, F < 35) are calibrated so a typical break-even degree lands in the C range. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Dance degree worth it?
Dance lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 60/100 across 11 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The dominant signal is debt-to-income: at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71x on average, the field shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Outcomes vary sharply by institution, so the school you choose within Dance usually matters more than the major label itself.
What is the average debt for a Dance degree?
Median debt at completion across the 11 U.S. schools reporting Dance data to the College Scorecard is $30K, against a national all-major average of $26K. The range across schools is wide — $26K at the top of the table to $35K at the bottom.
How much do Dance graduates earn?
Earnings rise sharply from $42K in year 1 to $57K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. National average first-year earnings across all 30,224 school + major combinations on the site is $58K — for context, Dance sits below that benchmark.
Which school has the best Dance program by ROI?
Bennington College leads the field with a 62/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $26K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.63x. On the other end, Brenau University sits at the bottom of the field with a 55/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $35K against $42K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.84x.
Where does this Dance data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from federal public datasets — the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) for debt and earnings, IPEDS (nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for graduation rates, and BLS Employment Projections for the job-growth outlook component of the ROI Score. Borrower-rights guidance: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov). The dataset was last refreshed March 2026.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-03-15 · 11 schools reporting for this major.