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Dance therapist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a dance therapist. Dance therapists usually study rehabilitation science, psychology, or human development. 70% of dance therapists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 41 real dance therapist resumes to see exactly what dance therapist education sections show.
The most common colleges for dance therapists are the Antioch University and the Antioch University.
There are also many online dance therapist courses to help get the education required to be a dance therapist.
What education do you need to become a dance therapist?
What degree do you need to be a dance therapist?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 26%
- Diploma, 4%
What should I major in to become a dance therapist?
- Psychology, 15%
- Liberal Arts, 8%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for dance therapists
| Dance therapist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Antioch University | 11.11% |
| Columbia College Chicago | 11.11% |
| Goucher College | 5.56% |
| Ohio State University | 5.56% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.56% |
Best majors for dance therapists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rehabilitation Science | 30.8% |
| 2 | Psychology | 15.4% |
| 3 | Human Development | 7.7% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 7.7% |
| 5 | Special Education | 3.8% |
Best colleges for dance therapists
The best colleges for dance therapists are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
A dance therapist 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 therapists. 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 therapists.
1. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Enrollment
16,205
4. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
8. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
9. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for dance therapists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for dance therapists
The most affordable schools for dance therapists 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 therapists 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 therapists.
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. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for dance therapists
The hardest universities for dance therapists to get into are Columbia University in the City of New York, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for dance therapists 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 therapists 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for dance therapists
The easiest schools for dance therapists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dance therapist 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 therapists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
10. Dominican College of Blauvelt
Orangeburg, NY • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,038
Average dance therapist salary by education level
| Dance therapist education level | Dance therapist salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,050 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,186 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,539 |
Dance therapist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025