by our College Data Analytics Team
[Dance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/dance/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a dance degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the early-career earnings of their dance graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send dance graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Oakland University the top school for dance graduate earnings in Michigan. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a public institution. Dance graduates of Oakland University earn a median of about $31,999 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in dance will find them at Wayne State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a public institution. Dance graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of about $34,720 a year early in their careers.
Hope College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in dance, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Holland, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the dance program here go on to a median salary of roughly $23,050.
Students chasing top earnings in dance will find them at Western Michigan University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. After graduating, dance degree recipients from Western Michigan University typically earn about $25,211 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their dance graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.