2026 Best Dance Schools in New Jersey
Dance programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their dance programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for dance students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Dance in New Jersey
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall dance education in New Jersey.
Top Schools in Dance
Rutgers University New Brunswick tops our 2026 ranking of the best dance schools. This very large public university is located in the city of New Brunswick. About 84% of students finish within six years. Rutgers University New Brunswick awarded about 34 dance degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the dance program make about $58,402 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $26,879 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in dance from Rutgers University New Brunswick
Rider University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in dance, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Lawrenceville, Rider University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 61%. About 15 dance degrees were awarded at Rider University in the most recent year. Students who receive their dance degree from Rider University earn around $24,515 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,241 to complete this degree.
Read more about the dance program at Rider University
Students looking for a strong dance program will find one at Montclair State University, which ranked #3. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Montclair. The six-year graduation rate is 65%. Montclair State University awarded about 41 dance degrees in the most recent data year. Dance graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of $23,191 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
More information about a degree in dance from Montclair State University
A rank of #4 makes New Jersey City University one of the top schools for dance. New Jersey City University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Jersey City. About 34% of students finish within six years. New Jersey City University awarded about 13 dance degrees in the most recent data year. Dance graduates of New Jersey City University earn a median of $47,083 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $22,107 to complete this degree.
Get the full dance details for New Jersey City University
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
