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2024 Best General Dance Schools

176 Colleges in the United States
3,148 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded
A degree in general dance is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #212 out of 1506 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 176 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for general dance students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,148 degrees in general dance during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Dance School

Best General Dance Schools Your choice of general dance school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall General Dance School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your General Dance Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Dance Movement Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in Dance Movement Studies
Master's Degrees in Dance Movement Studies
Doctor's Degrees in Dance Movement Studies

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Dance Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for General Dance in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of dance movement studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Dance Movement Studies

1
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NY
52 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

New York University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in general dance. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 52 general dance students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from New York University

2
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In GA

Any student pursuing a degree in general dance has to look into Emory University. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Emory is a great university overall.

There were approximately 6 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from Emory University

3
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NC

Every student who is interested in general dance has to take a look at Duke University. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 9 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Duke University

4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WI

It's hard to beat University of Wisconsin - Madison if you wish to pursue a degree in general dance. Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 10 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
23rd Most Popular In NY

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 1 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Columbia University in the City of New York

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
58 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. This university ranks 15th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 58 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of California - Irvine

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
41 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 41 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Florida

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MO
12.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WUSTL is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 general dance students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from Washington University in St Louis

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In CA
23.8% Growth in Graduates

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 21 general dance students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Southern California

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TX
14.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Dallas, SMU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 14 general dance students who graduated with this degree at SMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Southern Methodist University

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WA

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 21 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In LA

Tulane is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New Orleans. This university ranks 1st out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Louisiana.

There were roughly 10 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Tulane in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from Tulane University of Louisiana

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI

U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 13 general dance students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In UT

U of U is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Salt Lake City. This university ranks 3rd out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were about 22 general dance students who graduated with this degree at U of U in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Utah

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
33 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 33 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of California - Los Angeles

16
Skidmore crest
Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In NY

Skidmore is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Saratoga Springs. This college ranks 21st out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 8 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Skidmore in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Skidmore College

17
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In IA
37.5% Growth in Graduates

Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Iowa City. This university ranks 2nd out of 40 colleges for overall quality in the state of Iowa.

There were about 24 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from University of Iowa

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In CA

Chapman is a large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Orange. This university ranks 32nd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 25 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Chapman in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from Chapman University

19
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In IL

Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 2 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from Northwestern University

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
34 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were roughly 34 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Ohio State University - Main Campus

21
Juilliard crest
The Juilliard School
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In NY
9.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New York, Juilliard is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.

There were about 21 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Juilliard in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general dance from The Juilliard School

22
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TX
64.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 14 general dance students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Texas Christian University

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA
57 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the city of Long Beach. This university ranks 28th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 57 general dance students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from California State University - Long Beach

24
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
45 Dance Movement Studies Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 45 general dance students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from Texas State University

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TX
21.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 19 general dance students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general dance from The University of Texas at Austin

Rest of the Top Best General Dance Schools

26

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for General Dance students that almost earned our Best General Dance Schools award.

Rank College Location
27 George Washington University Washington, DC
28 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
29 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
30 The University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA
31 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
32 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
33 The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL
34 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
35 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA

General Dance by Region

View the Best General Dance Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

General Dance is one of 2 different types of Dance programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Dance 87
Ballet 53

View All Dance Movement Studies Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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