by our College Data Analytics Team
[Ballet](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/dance/ballet/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value ballet schools.
What’s on this page:
The right ballet school can pay off for years to come. To help, we created our Best Value Ballet Schools ranking. It weighs the cost of a degree against the outcomes graduates go on to achieve, so you can find the strongest return on your investment.
Read more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Best Value Ballet Schools list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in ballet, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in ballet, no school beat University Of Utah this year. University Of Utah is a very large public school located in the city of Salt Lake City. Students from in state pay about $9,620 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $30,860. Ballet graduates carry a median of $17,269 in student loans. Early-career ballet graduates make about $24,125. That is a strong return on a $17,269 median debt. University Of Utah admits about 86% of applicants.
Indiana University Bloomington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ballet, landing the #2 spot this year. Indiana University Bloomington is a very large public school located in the city of Bloomington. Students from in state pay about $12,144 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $41,891. Typical student debt for ballet graduates is $20,542. Ballet graduates of Indiana University Bloomington earn a median of $14,831 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,542 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Texas Christian University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ballet, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Fort Worth, Texas Christian University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,740. Ballet graduates carry a median of $22,960 in student loans. Soon after graduation, ballet degree recipients from Texas Christian University generally make around $60,035. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.
Marymount Manhattan College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in ballet, landing the #4 spot this year. Marymount Manhattan College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. Students from in state pay about $41,870 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the ballet program here. Soon after graduation, ballet degree recipients from Marymount Manhattan College generally make around $21,880. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Explore other best-value rankings in majors related to Ballet. Browse the parent area of study.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.