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Dance instructor/choreographer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a dance instructor/choreographer. Dance instructor/choreographers usually study dance, psychology, or business. 68% of dance instructor/choreographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 12% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,448 real dance instructor/choreographer resumes to see exactly what dance instructor/choreographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for dance instructor/choreographers are the The University of the Arts and the The University of the Arts.
There are also many online dance instructor/choreographer courses to help get the education required to be a dance instructor/choreographer.
There are certain dance instructor/choreographer certifications that you should consider. These dance instructor/choreographer certifications include Instructor and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
What education do you need to become a dance instructor/choreographer?
What degree do you need to be a dance instructor/choreographer?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a dance instructor/choreographer?
- Dance, 32%
- Psychology, 9%
- Business, 8%
- Communication, 5%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for dance instructor/choreographers
| Dance instructor/choreographer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| The University of the Arts | 9.45% |
| New York University | 7.96% |
| Howard University | 5.97% |
| Arizona State University | 4.98% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 4.98% |
Best majors for dance instructor/choreographers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dance | 31.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.1% |
| 3 | Business | 8.1% |
| 4 | Communication | 5.3% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 5.0% |
Best colleges for dance instructor/choreographers
The best colleges for dance instructor/choreographers are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A dance instructor/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 dance instructor/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 dance instructor/choreographers.
1. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
2. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
20 best online courses for dance instructor/choreographers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for dance instructor/choreographers
The most affordable schools for dance instructor/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 dance instructor/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 dance instructor/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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for dance instructor/choreographers
The hardest universities for dance instructor/choreographers to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for dance instructor/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 dance instructor/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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for dance instructor/choreographers
The easiest schools for dance instructor/choreographers to get into are Bluefield College, la roche college, and d'youville college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dance instructor/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 dance instructor/choreographers.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
3. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
4. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average dance instructor/choreographer salary by education level
| Dance instructor/choreographer education level | Dance instructor/choreographer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,174 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,870 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,585 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,353 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $46,800 |
Dance instructor/choreographer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025