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