Top Dance Programs in the Northeast by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast
Regional list from Best Dance Programs in the United States
This page ranks 22 Dance programs in the Northeast by median earnings of Dance graduates four years after completing. Muhlenberg College leads the list at $56,503, followed by Rutgers University-New Brunswick at $51,736 and The Juilliard School at $50,287.
The median across the listed schools is $38,818, with figures ranging from $56,503 to $19,227.
Of the 22 programs, 14 are private nonprofit and 8 are public. CUNY Hunter College reports the lowest average net price on the list at $2,984, and it also ranks 20th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Point Park University posts the highest admission rate at 97%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muhlenberg College · Allentown, PA | $56,503 | $28,905 | $12,302 | 72.0% |
| Muhlenberg College reports median earnings of $56,503 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $51,736 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick carries a median federal debt of $25,565 among Dance completers who borrowed, and an admission rate of 58%. | |||||
| 3 | The Juilliard School · New York, NY | $50,287 | $43,571 | $30,168 | 9.2% |
| The Juilliard School admits 9% of applicants and posts median earnings of $50,287 for its Dance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Hofstra University · Hempstead, NY | $48,086 | $34,176 | $28,219 | 68.1% |
| Hofstra University carries an average net price of $34,176 and ranks 882nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $47,036 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
| Fordham University shows median earnings of $47,036 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, alongside 25 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Mercyhurst University · Erie, PA | $41,049 | $19,444 | $22,626 | 81.0% |
| Mercyhurst University reports an average net price of $19,444 and median federal debt of $26,500 among Dance completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · Slippery Rock, PA | $40,797 | $19,608 | $12,555 | 71.5% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranks 7th on this list and posts an average net price of $12,555 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | SUNY Brockport · Brockport, NY | $40,516 | $16,353 | $10,911 | 70.7% |
| SUNY Brockport reports median earnings of $40,516 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 71%. | |||||
| 9 | Pace University · New York, NY | $39,716 | $30,892 | $26,473 | 75.9% |
| Pace University carries a median federal debt of $27,000 among Dance completers who borrowed and ranks 441st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 10 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $39,576 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo reports median earnings of $39,576 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, above the list median of $38,818. | |||||
| 11 | Montclair State University · Montclair, NJ | $39,064 | $15,566 | $10,880 | 87.9% |
| Montclair State University admits 88% of applicants and posts an average net price of $10,880 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 12 | New York University · New York, NY | $38,571 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University reports median earnings of $38,571 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, with a 43-graduate earnings cohort. | |||||
| 13 | Marymount Manhattan College · New York, NY | $38,227 | $36,861 | $30,722 | 82.6% |
| Marymount Manhattan College, a private nonprofit college in New York, reports median earnings of $38,227 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, with 37 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Point Park University · Pittsburgh, PA | $37,205 | $25,942 | $22,436 | 96.9% |
| Point Park University admits 97% of applicants and its Dance completers who borrowed left with a median of $27,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 15 | Dean College · Franklin, MA | $36,644 | $30,684 | $26,996 | 73.7% |
| Dean College ranks 15th on this list and posts an average net price of $30,684. | |||||
| 16 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $36,524 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| A public university in Philadelphia, Temple University sits 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $36,524 for its Dance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | DeSales University · Center Valley, PA | $36,515 | $31,643 | $24,007 | 77.1% |
| Graduates across all fields at DeSales University who borrowed left with a median of $25,788 in federal loans, and the school reports an average net price of $31,643. | |||||
| 18 | Berklee College of Music · Boston, MA | $35,702 | $49,465 | $42,734 | 43.5% |
| Berklee College of Music in Boston reports median earnings of $35,702 for its Dance graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $49,465. | |||||
| 19 | SUNY at Purchase College · Purchase, NY | $30,406 | $18,913 | $11,835 | 74.1% |
| SUNY at Purchase College ranks 907th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Dance completers who borrowed left with a median of $26,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 20 | Rider University · Lawrenceville, NJ | $22,329 | $24,792 | $15,824 | 78.6% |
| Rider University admits 79% of applicants and reports an average net price of $24,792. | |||||
| 21 | CUNY Hunter College · New York, NY | $21,964 | $2,984 | $1,029 | 53.8% |
| CUNY Hunter College reports median earnings of $21,964 for its Dance graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $2,984. | |||||
| 22 | Adelphi University · Garden City, NY | $19,227 | $30,783 | $24,095 | 65.9% |
| Adelphi University ranks 370th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $19,227 for its Dance graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Dance graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Northeast appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 3 of the 22 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Muhlenberg College and second-ranked Rutgers University-New Brunswick is $4,767, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $37,276.
Related rankings
- Best Dance Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Northeast
- Best Dance Programs in the Midwest
- Best Dance Programs in the South
- Top Dance Programs in the West by Earnings
- Best Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast
- Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility