Dance: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 72 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$305,911 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
—Modeled economic break-even
−117%Modeled 10-year ROI
$40,657Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$40,657Median reported earnings · year 4
$34,404Average reported earnings · year 5
$25,000Median federal debt
5thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
72Reporting programs
60With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $24,453
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Reporting programs
- 1
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $40,657
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Reporting programs
- 72
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,507
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 3
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$36,277National median$40,65775th percentile$47,036
60 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Iowa$60,1882Stephen F Austin State University$57,5933Muhlenberg College$56,5034University of South Carolina-Columbia$55,2745Texas Woman's University$53,0726Texas State University$53,0577The University of Alabama$51,7448Rutgers University-New Brunswick$51,7369Chapman University$50,61210The Juilliard School$50,287Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1121 · 3 crosswalk linksChoreographersSOC 27-2032 · 3 crosswalk linksDancersSOC 27-2031 · 3 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of IowaBachelor's Degree | Iowa City, IA | $60,188 | $24,375 | -44% | Negative payoff |
| 2 | Stephen F Austin State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Nacogdoches, TX | $57,593 | $31,000 | -47% | Negative payoff |
| 3 | Muhlenberg CollegeBachelor's Degree | Allentown, PA | $56,503 | $27,000 | -61% | Negative payoff |
| 4 | University of South Carolina-ColumbiaBachelor's Degree | Columbia, SC | $55,274 | Not available | -62% | Negative payoff |
| 5 | Texas Woman's UniversityBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $53,072 | $21,953 | -65% | Negative payoff |
| 6 | Texas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Marcos, TX | $53,057 | $22,500 | -67% | Negative payoff |
| 7 | The University of AlabamaBachelor's Degree | Tuscaloosa, AL | $51,744 | Not available | -75% | Negative payoff |
| 8 | Rutgers University-New BrunswickBachelor's Degree | New Brunswick, NJ | $51,736 | $26,879 | -76% | Negative payoff |
| 9 | Chapman UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orange, CA | $50,612 | $23,624 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 10 | The Juilliard SchoolBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $50,287 | $27,000 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 11 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $49,063 | $24,000 | -83% | Negative payoff |
| 12 | Sam Houston State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Huntsville, TX | $48,568 | $26,000 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 13 | University of North Carolina at CharlotteBachelor's Degree | Charlotte, NC | $48,518 | $26,625 | -85% | Negative payoff |
| 14 | Hofstra UniversityBachelor's Degree | Hempstead, NY | $48,086 | $26,000 | -90% | Negative payoff |
| 15 | University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesBachelor's Degree | Minneapolis, MN | $48,069 | $19,500 | -88% | Negative payoff |
| 16 | Fordham UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $47,036 | $26,000 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 17 | California State University, Long BeachBachelor's Degree | Long Beach, CA | $46,387 | $20,500 | -94% | Negative payoff |
| 18 | University of California, RiversideBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $45,804 | Not available | -97% | Negative payoff |
| 19 | Western Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kalamazoo, MI | $45,108 | $27,000 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 20 | University of North Carolina at GreensboroBachelor's Degree | Greensboro, NC | $45,084 | $25,000 | -100% | Negative payoff |
| 21 | University of California, Santa BarbaraBachelor's Degree | Santa Barbara, CA | $44,858 | Not available | -101% | Negative payoff |
| 22 | San Francisco State UniversityBachelor's Degree | San Francisco, CA | $44,627 | Not available | -102% | Negative payoff |
| 23 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $43,987 | $23,393 | -104% | Negative payoff |
| 24 | East Carolina UniversityBachelor's Degree | Greenville, NC | $42,785 | Not available | -109% | Negative payoff |
| 25 | University of FloridaBachelor's Degree | Gainesville, FL | $42,624 | $16,500 | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Columbia College ChicagoBachelor's Degree | Chicago, IL | $41,842 | $27,000 | -111% | Negative payoff |
| 27 | Anderson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Anderson, IN | $41,772 | $27,000 | -112% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Mercyhurst UniversityBachelor's Degree | Erie, PA | $41,049 | $27,000 | -115% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Florida State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Tallahassee, FL | $40,892 | $21,706 | -118% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaBachelor's Degree | Slippery Rock, PA | $40,797 | $27,000 | -116% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | SUNY BrockportBachelor's Degree | Brockport, NY | $40,516 | $24,190 | -118% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | University of California, IrvineBachelor's Degree | Irvine, CA | $40,466 | $20,080 | -119% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Pace UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $39,716 | $27,000 | -117% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | University at BuffaloBachelor's Degree | Buffalo, NY | $39,576 | $20,500 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 35 | Montclair State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Montclair, NJ | $39,064 | $27,000 | -125% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | New York UniversityBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $38,571 | $23,004 | -120% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Marymount Manhattan CollegeBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $38,227 | $27,000 | -121% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Minnesota State University-MankatoBachelor's Degree | Mankato, MN | $37,959 | $27,000 | -127% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Point Park UniversityBachelor's Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $37,205 | $27,000 | -127% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | University of Nevada-Las VegasBachelor's Degree | Las Vegas, NV | $36,925 | $24,652 | -136% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | George Mason UniversityBachelor's Degree | Fairfax, VA | $36,901 | $25,975 | -132% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | Dean CollegeBachelor's Degree | Franklin, MA | $36,644 | $27,000 | -128% | Negative payoff |
| 43 | Temple UniversityBachelor's Degree | Philadelphia, PA | $36,524 | $27,000 | -129% | Negative payoff |
| 44 | DeSales UniversityBachelor's Degree | Center Valley, PA | $36,515 | Not available | -128% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | University of California, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $36,277 | $19,309 | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 46 | Berklee College of MusicBachelor's Degree | Boston, MA | $35,702 | $27,000 | -125% | Negative payoff |
| 47 | Loyola Marymount UniversityBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $35,288 | $24,250 | -126% | Negative payoff |
| 48 | Ball State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Muncie, IN | $34,518 | Not available | -144% | Negative payoff |
| 49 | American Musical and Dramatic AcademyBachelor's Degree | New York, NY | $34,107 | $27,000 | -132% | Negative payoff |
| 50 | Oklahoma City UniversityBachelor's Degree | Oklahoma City, OK | $34,105 | $24,100 | -140% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | University of ArizonaBachelor's Degree | Tucson, AZ | $34,010 | $20,616 | -145% | Negative payoff |
| 52 | University of South FloridaBachelor's Degree | Tampa, FL | $33,269 | $24,545 | -154% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | University of North Carolina School of the ArtsBachelor's Degree | Winston Salem, NC | $32,463 | $23,000 | -152% | Negative payoff |
| 54 | Belhaven UniversityBachelor's Degree | Jackson, MS | $32,324 | $22,500 | -152% | Negative payoff |
| 55 | SUNY at Purchase CollegeBachelor's Degree | Purchase, NY | $30,406 | $27,000 | -157% | Negative payoff |
| 56 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeBachelor's Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $29,695 | $26,000 | -164% | Negative payoff |
| 57 | University of Missouri-Kansas CityBachelor's Degree | Kansas City, MO | $28,834 | Not available | -169% | Negative payoff |
| 58 | CUNY Lehman CollegeBachelor's Degree | Bronx, NY | $23,522 | $11,994 | -212% | Negative payoff |
| 59 | California State University, FullertonBachelor's Degree | Fullerton, CA | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $6,555 |
| 60 | University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | Not available | $15,875 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $32,740 |
| 61 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBachelor's Degree | Champaign, IL | Not available | $19,061 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,355 |
| 62 | Towson UniversityBachelor's Degree | Towson, MD | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,413 |
| 63 | Oakland UniversityBachelor's Degree | Rochester Hills, MI | Not available | $27,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $9,120 |
| 64 | Wayne State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Detroit, MI | Not available | $25,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $12,766 |
| 65 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $17,339 |
| 66 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusBachelor's Degree | Norman, OK | Not available | $21,899 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,300 |
| 67 | University of UtahBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | Not available | $17,269 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $16,200 |
| 68 | Virginia Commonwealth UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, VA | Not available | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $23,433 |
| 69 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointBachelor's Degree | Stevens Point, WI | Not available | $26,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,559 |
| 70 | Kennesaw State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kennesaw, GA | Not available | $22,762 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $15,048 |
| 71 | University of the ArtsBachelor's Degree | , | $38,520 | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 72 | Cornish College of the ArtsBachelor's Degree | , | $34,503 | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.