Dance is an interdisciplinary art form that embraces elements of theatre, music, kinesiology, history, and the study of diverse cultures. If you want to take your dance skill at the bright level and looking for the best dance school for it, then below you will find the ‘Best Dance Colleges in California’ that offer dance programs for students considering a dance major or minor.

California has 62 dance colleges and universities that offer certificates, associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in general dance and ballet and ballroom. See the top-ranked dance schools and colleges in California to reach your educational goals and get the career you’ve always wanted. Do well!

University of California Berkeley

The University of California Berkeley’s Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies teaches performance as a mode of critical inquiry, creative expression, and public engagement. The Department of TDPS offers a minor in Dance and Performance Studies. The dance training and academic courses offered by their department are rigorous and geared toward the student who is interested in learning about dance and performance from multiple perspectives.

Founded In: 1868
Ranking: 1st
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,431 USD, Out-of-state 38,139 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 510.642.1677
Website: http://tdps.berkeley.edu/

University of California San Diego

The Department of Theatre and Dance at UC San Diego offers BA degrees in theatre and dance, MFA degrees in Acting, Dance, Design (Costume, Lighting, Scenic, Sound), Directing, Playwriting, and Stage Management, and a Ph.D. in Theatre and Drama offered in conjunction with UC Irvine. It offers a major and minor in Theatre, a major and minor in Dance, and a double major in both Theatre and Dance.

Founded In: 1960
Ranking: 2nd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,530 USD, Out-of-state 38,238 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (858) 534-3791
Website: http://theatre.ucsd.edu/

University of California Irvine

UC Irvine is a top-ranked university, and the Dance Department is highly respected and acknowledged nationally and internationally. The UCI Dance Department is a community that builds bridges and develops connections to the larger dance community. There are many performance opportunities offered in our program with choreography by faculty, guest artists, graduate, and undergraduate students and include department productions, MFA thesis performances, and BFA shows.

Founded In: 1965
Ranking: 3rd
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,252 USD, Out-of-state 37,960 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 949.824.7283
Website: http://dance.arts.uci.edu/

California Institute of the Arts

The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance’s mission is in educating the complete dance artist—agile, intelligent and in command of an expanded skill set to meet the fast-evolving demands of professional dance. The comprehensive BFA and MFA Programs build high-level proficiencies in performance technique, choreography, dance production technology and critical understanding of the art form, all within a global cultural context.

Founded In: 1961
Ranking: 4th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 43,986 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 661-253-7898
Website: http://dance.calarts.edu/

California State University Long Beach

CSULB Dance is a rigorous program that provides training in dance with a strong foundation in modern and ballet technique and choreography. The varied degrees offered in the department challenge students to grow and contribute to society as artists and individuals. Physical practice interfaces with the theoretical study, placing dance in a historical, pedagogical, scientific, and cultural context.

Founded In: 1949
Ranking: 5th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 6,452 USD, Out-of-state 17,612 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: 562.985.4111
Website: http://www.csulb.edu/dance

University of California Riverside

The UCR Department of Dance embraces both dance making and written scholarship—dancing and writing about dancing—in each of its distinctive degree programs. We offer Ph.D. in Critical Dance Studies, M.F.A. in Experimental Choreography, and B.A in Dance that focuses on choreographic research together with cultural and historical studies.

Founded In: 1907
Ranking: 6th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 13,527 USD, Out-of-state 38,235 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (951) 827-1012
Website: http://www.dance.ucr.edu/

California State University Fullerton

The university has approximately 5,800 graduate student body is also the largest in the CSU and one of the largest in all of California. The Bachelor of Arts in Dance is for students seeking a broad and rich background in both theory and practice. The degree is designed to foster the skills, understanding, and discipline of young dance artists. Their faculty, all have established professional and diverse artistic backgrounds.

Founded In: 1957
Ranking: 7th
Tuition & Fees Approximately:
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 657-278-2011
Website: http://www.fullerton.edu/arts/theatredance/

University of Southern California

The USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance is quickly emerging as an epicenter of excellence in the interdisciplinary study of dance creation and dance performance. It offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts to a select number of undergraduates who wish to pursue dance as their major. USC Kaufman also offers individual classes in technique, performance, choreography, production, theory, and history that are open to all students at USC.

Founded In: 1880
Ranking: 8th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 50,210 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: +1 213-740-9327
Website: http://kaufman.usc.edu/

University of California Los Angeles

The university is organized into six undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and four professional health science schools. UCLA’s Graduate Program in Dance offers the following degree(s) Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.). UCLA enrolls about 31,000 undergraduate and 13,000 graduate students,[7] and had 119,000 applicants.

Founded In: 1919
Ranking: 9th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: In-state 12,763 USD, Out-of-state 37,471 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (310) 206-5467
Website: https://grad.ucla.edu/programs/school-of-arts-and-architecture/world-arts-and-culturesdance-department/dance/

Pomona College

Established in 1887, Pomona College is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, Calif., about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. The Dance Program, which is part of the Theatre and Dance Department, offers a solid progression of courses in both ballet and contemporary techniques. There are approximately 1,670 students who come from 59 nations and all 50 U.S. states.

Founded In: 1887
Ranking: 10th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 47,620 USD
Finance and Admission Office Contact: (909) 621-8000
Website: http://www.pomona.edu/academics/departments/dance/