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Director of dance education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a director of dance. Directors of dance usually study dance, business, or psychology. 72% of directors of dance hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 660 real director of dance resumes to see exactly what director of dance education sections show.
The most common colleges for directors of dance are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online director of dance courses to help get the education required to be a director of dance.
What education do you need to become a director of dance?
What degree do you need to be a director of dance?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 9%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a director of dance?
- Dance, 29%
- Business, 13%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for directors of dance
| Director of dance common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.64% |
| University of Central Florida | 7.23% |
| University of Houston | 7.23% |
| San Francisco State University | 6.02% |
| Florida State University | 6.02% |
Best majors for directors of dance
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dance | 29.2% |
| 2 | Business | 13.2% |
| 3 | Psychology | 7.6% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 5.3% |
| 5 | Fine Arts | 5.1% |
Best colleges for directors of dance
The best colleges for directors of dance are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A director of dance with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of dance. 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 directors of dance.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
20 best online courses for directors of dance
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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of dance
The most affordable schools for directors of dance are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for directors of dance 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 directors of dance.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of dance
The hardest universities for directors of dance to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for directors of dance 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 directors of dance 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of dance
The easiest schools for directors of dance to get into are Bluefield College, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of dance 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 directors of dance.
1. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Centenary University
Hackettstown, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
67%
SAT average
987
Average director of dance salary by education level
| Director of dance education level | Director of dance salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,889 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,817 |
Director of dance education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025