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# Top Dance Programs in the Northeast by Earnings (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-the-northeast/)

Regional list from [Best Dance Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-dance-programs/)

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](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/majors/) 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

22 schools in list order

| 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](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/majors/) carries a [median federal debt of $25,565](/school/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/cost/) 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](/school/hofstra-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $34,176](/school/hofstra-university/cost/) 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](/school/fordham-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $47,036](/school/fordham-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/mercyhurst-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $19,444](/school/mercyhurst-university/cost/) 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](/school/suny-brockport/majors/) reports [median earnings of $40,516](/school/suny-brockport/outcomes/) 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](/school/pace-university/majors/) carries a [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/pace-university/cost/) 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](/school/university-at-buffalo/majors/) reports [median earnings of $39,576](/school/university-at-buffalo/outcomes/) 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](/school/montclair-state-university/majors/) [admits 88% of applicants](/school/montclair-state-university/admissions/) 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](/school/new-york-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $38,571](/school/new-york-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/marymount-manhattan-college/majors/), a private nonprofit college in New York, reports [median earnings of $38,227](/school/marymount-manhattan-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/temple-university/majors/) sits 125th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports [median earnings of $36,524](/school/temple-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/desales-university/majors/) who borrowed left with a [median of $25,788](/school/desales-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/suny-at-purchase-college/majors/) [ranks 907th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/suny-at-purchase-college/) 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](/school/rider-university/majors/) [admits 79% of applicants](/school/rider-university/admissions/) 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](/school/cuny-hunter-college/majors/) reports [median earnings of $21,964](/school/cuny-hunter-college/outcomes/) 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](/school/adelphi-university/majors/) [ranks 370th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/adelphi-university/) 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](/rankings/best-dance-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Dance Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-dance-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Dance Programs in the South](/rankings/best-dance-programs-in-the-south/)
-   [Top Dance Programs in the West by Earnings](/rankings/best-dance-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-the-northeast/)
-   Art & Design Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility