Choreographer education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a choreographer?

You need a high school diploma to be a choreographer. Although not required, a formal degree such as a bachelor's or master's degree is highly recommended. This formal education prepares you for the business side of the industry while expanding your dance expertise. A choreographer requires a dance background. This entails the ability to perform and teach dance steps, as well as a sequence of movements. Training often begins early in childhood. It takes years to learn techniques and styles of dance. It is important to continually gain experience through work. Joining an organization such as the National Dance Association or Dance/USA will also make you more marketable. A degree prepares you for the business side of the industry. The degree will enrich you with dance history, movement, composition, and performance. Some employers will only seek out choreographers with a degree in dance, and most universities require you to have a master's in dance to be able to teach it.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a choreographer. Choreographers usually study dance, theatre, or business. 70% of choreographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 2,217 real choreographer resumes to see exactly what choreographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for choreographers are the New York University and the New York University.

There are also many online choreographer courses to help get the education required to be a choreographer.

What education do you need to become a choreographer?

What degree do you need to be a choreographer?

The most common degree for choreographers is bachelor's degree, with 70% of choreographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 10% and high school diploma degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 70%

High School Diploma, 10%

Master's, 9%

Associate, 8%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a choreographer?

You should major in dance to become a choreographer. 27% of choreographers major in dance. Other common majors for a choreographer include theatre and business.

Dance, 27%

Theatre, 11%

Business, 8%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for choreographers

Choreographers often get their degrees at New York University, The University of the Arts, and Oklahoma City University. Here are the most common colleges for choreographers in the US based on their resumes.

Choreographer common college	Percentages
New York University	10.69%
The University of the Arts	8.81%
Oklahoma City University	6.92%
Temple University	6.29%
University of California - Davis	6.29%

Show more common choreographer colleges

Best majors for choreographers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Dance	27.4%
2	Theatre	10.6%
3	Business	7.7%
4	Psychology	7.3%
5	General Education, Specific Areas	5.5%

Show more common choreographer majors

Best colleges for choreographers

The best colleges for choreographers are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A choreographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for choreographers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become choreographers.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

7. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

8. University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,391

Enrollment

23,063

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Enrollment

16,205

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for choreographers

Advertising disclosure

1. Orchestral Music Composition & Music Theory for Video Games

4.6

(255)

Learn orchestral video game music composition & game composer music theory secrets to compose music for any video game!...

2. Adventures in Classical Music-Music Appreciation for All!

4.6

(1,056)

Understand and enjoy classical music at your own pace. A music history course, including a music theory introduction...

3. Music Producer Masterclass: Make Electronic Music

4.4

(1,683)

Compose Music At A Professional level. Learn FL studio From Beginner To Expert Level. Become A Music Producer...

4. Music Theory Comprehensive: Part 1 - How To Read Music

4.4

(407)

A Complete College-Level Music Theory Curriculum. This is Part 1: Reading Music & The Symbols of Music Notation...

5. Music Theory for Electronic Music COMPLETE: Parts 1, 2, & 3

4.7

(8,388)

Electronic music theory, digital music theory, and dance music theory. Learn music theory with ableton live and more!...

6. Music Composition: Write Powerful Melodies

4.5

(543)

Learn The Tried And Tested Process For Composing Exceptional Melodies Melodic Music Composition...

7. How to make Epic Cinematic Music

4.3

(264)

Epic Cinematic Music Composition...

8. Complete Electronic Music Production for EDM Music Producers

4.8

(894)

EDM: Learn professional electronic music production techniques from an expert electronic music producer - produce EDM!...

9. Electronic Music Primer

4.7

(308)

Get started making electronic music today!...

10. Ableton Live 11 Masterclass: Complete Music Production Guide

4.7

(272)

Complete Guide To: Music Production, Music Mixing, Electronic Music, Sound Design, Audio Engineering / Production...

11. Music Production + Mixing Music in Presonus Studio One

4.8

(926)

Learn Presonus Studio One + Music Production in this Complete Course for Creating, Recording, Mixing Music + Mastering...

12. Game Music Composition: Make Music For Games From Scratch

4.6

(4,159)

Learn to compose music for any and every type of video game, from complete beginner to competent game music composer...

13. Music Theory

4.6

(859)

An in-depth and straight forward approach to understanding music...

14. Music Composition 1: Myths, Techniques, and Getting Started

4.7

(348)

Demystifying Music Composition Through Practical Exercises and Techniques for the Modern Composer and Songwriter...

15. Music Theory Comprehensive Complete: Part 4, 5, & 6

4.7

(3,359)

Learn music theory through this music theory course app, music theory exercises, and music theory tutorials...

16. Lyricology: The Perfect Formulas for Hip-Hop Songwriting!

4.7

(307)

Hip Hop songwriting techniques that will help you perfect your craft!...

17. Xfer Serum Synthesizer - Sound Design + Music Production

4.6

(436)

Learn about Creating your own Sounds, Sound Design, Synthesis + Music Production in Serum Synthesizer by Xfer...

18. Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers - Complete Guide

4.5

(334)

This is the only Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers you will ever need. Learn Music Theory the Easy & Quick Way...

19. Music Theory - Fundamentals for Composition in Any Genre

4.8

(722)

Expand your music composition skills through learning universal music theory principles, mindset, and ear training...

20. Producing Music with Reason

4.3

(412)

Everything you need to know to get started producing great music with Propellerhead Reason...

Top 10 most affordable universities for choreographers

The most affordable schools for choreographers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for choreographers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for choreographers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for choreographers

The hardest universities for choreographers to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for choreographers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for choreographers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,531

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Hamilton College

Clinton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

21%

SAT average

1,446

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for choreographers

The easiest schools for choreographers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, bluefield college, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a choreographer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for choreographers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average choreographer salary by education level

According to our data, choreographers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,462 annually. Choreographers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $66,942.

Choreographer education level	Choreographer salary
Master's Degree	$66,942
High School Diploma or Less	$54,375
Bachelor's Degree	$67,462
Doctorate Degree	$64,583
Some College/ Associate Degree	$57,161

Choreographer education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a choreographer?

What is the best college for Choreographers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common arts, entertainment, sports, and media questions.

Search for choreographer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Zippia Careers
Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Industry
Choreographer
Choreographer Education

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs