[College research](/) / [Rankings](/rankings/)

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

Updated September 30, 2026

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

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

This page ranks the 16 Dance programs in the West by median earnings of Dance graduates four years after completing. [Chapman University](/school/chapman-university/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $50,612 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $50,612 to $8,000, with a median of $36,601. The gap between the first- and second-ranked programs is $4,225.

Public institutions account for 12 of the 16 programs, or 75%. California State University-Fullerton posts the lowest average net price on the list, at $6,555.

[California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/) ranks 5th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

16 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Chapman University · Orange, CA | $50,612 | $46,555 | $33,559 | 65.4% |
|  | [Chapman University](/school/chapman-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting [median earnings of $50,612](/school/chapman-university/outcomes/) for its Dance graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $46,387 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
|  | An [average net price of $10,440](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/cost/) coincides with [California State University-Long Beach](/school/california-state-university-long-beach/majors/)'s 2nd-place finish, and the school holds an Azimuth composite rank of 5th among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 3 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $45,804 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
|  | [University of California-Riverside](/school/university-of-california-riverside/majors/) [admits 76% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-riverside/admissions/) and posts median earnings of $45,804 for its Dance graduates four years after completing. |
| 4 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $44,858 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $13,993](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/outcomes/) in federal loans at [University of California-Santa Barbara](/school/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/), which ranks 4th on this page with earnings of $44,858. |
| 5 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $44,627 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
|  | [San Francisco State University](/school/san-francisco-state-university/majors/) ranks 5th on this list and reports an [average net price of $9,341](/school/san-francisco-state-university/cost/) for families earning under $30,000. |
| 6 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $43,987 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
|  | With a cohort of 19 graduates in the earnings cohort, [Arizona State University Campus Immersion](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/majors/) shows [median earnings of $43,987](/school/arizona-state-university-campus-immersion/outcomes/) for its Dance graduates four years after completing. |
| 7 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $40,466 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
|  | [University of California-Irvine](/school/university-of-california-irvine/majors/) ranks 7th on this list and holds an [Azimuth composite rank of 12th](/school/university-of-california-irvine/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 8 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas · Las Vegas, NV | $36,925 | $10,359 | $8,526 | 96.2% |
|  | Median federal debt of $19,450 across all of [University of Nevada-Las Vegas](/school/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/majors/)'s borrowers who completed sits alongside [median earnings of $36,925](/school/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/outcomes/) for its Dance graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $36,277 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
|  | [University of California-Los Angeles](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) [admits 9% of applicants](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/admissions/) and reports an average net price of $5,579 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 10 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $35,288 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, [Loyola Marymount University](/school/loyola-marymount-university/majors/) ranks 10th on this list with [median earnings of $35,288](/school/loyola-marymount-university/outcomes/) four years after completing. |
| 11 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $34,010 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
|  | [University of Arizona](/school/university-of-arizona/majors/) reports an [average net price of $16,674](/school/university-of-arizona/cost/) and median earnings of $34,010 for its Dance graduates four years after completing. |
| 12 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $20,140 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
|  | [California State University-Fullerton](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/majors/) ranks 12th on this list and holds an [Azimuth composite rank of 6th](/school/california-state-university-fullerton/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 13 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $19,227 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
|  | [University of Utah](/school/university-of-utah/majors/) ranks 13th on this list and reports [median earnings of $19,227](/school/university-of-utah/outcomes/) for its Dance graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 42 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 14 | California Institute of the Arts · Valencia, CA | $15,182 | $46,080 | $26,686 | 32.3% |
|  | A private nonprofit institution in Valencia, California Institute of the Arts admits 32% of applicants and posts an average net price of $46,080. |
| 15 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $13,702 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
|  | [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/majors/) carries an [average net price of $6,384](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/cost/) for families earning under $30,000 and sits 72nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 16 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $8,000 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
|  | [Brigham Young University](/school/brigham-young-university/majors/) shows [median earnings of $8,000](/school/brigham-young-university/outcomes/) for its Dance graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 68%. |

## 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 West appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Dance graduates who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 5 of the 16 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 Chapman University and California State University-Long Beach is $4,225, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $42,612.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Dance Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-dance-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the West](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-west/)
-   [Top Dance Programs in the Northeast by Earnings](/rankings/best-dance-programs-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/)
-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in the West](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-the-west/)