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2026 Best Value Dance Schools in Illinois

[Dance](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/dance/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value dance schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Dance Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Dance Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in dance, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Dance Schools

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

$18,267 In-State Tuition & Fees

$19,061 Avg Student Debt

$81,054 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in dance, no school beat University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign this year. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Dance graduates carry a median of $19,061 in student loans. Early-career dance graduates make about $57,461. Set against $19,061 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.

2

Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL

$34,088 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$42,195 Median Earnings (10yr)

Columbia College Chicago is a great value for students pursuing a degree in dance, landing the #2 spot this year. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $34,088. Dance graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, dance degree recipients from Columbia College Chicago generally make around $29,160. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.

View All Dance Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.

• 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.