Paying for College
“How Are We Going to Pay for This?”
And… Is College Dance Even Worth It?
As a parent of a dancer starting the college search, you’ve probably had a moment where you’ve frozen in your tracks and asked yourself:
How are we going to pay for this?
And is it actually worth it?
These are totally fair questions and the answers and deeply individual.
College in the U.S. is extraordinarily expensive, and families differ widely in what they can—and are willing to—spend. There is no universal “right” number, and no moral high ground in stretching beyond your capacity.
At Dance & College Counseling, we believe financial clarity is a necessary part of building a sustainable future. Before working with any dancer, we meet with parents to discuss parameters including finances and expectations.
College Is Expensive.
The cost of college has risen far faster than wages, and dance programs are not exempt from this reality.
Families are navigating:
Tuition that can rival a mortgage
Housing, food, and health costs
Audition travel and application fees
Uncertainty about return on investment
Two families can love their dancer equally and still make very different financial choices. Life isn’t fair and money sure isn’t either!
What matters most is alignment—between your values, your resources, and your long-term goals.
Is College Dance a “Good Investment”?
This is such a big question.
The honest answer: it depends—but college dance has some unique advantages that are often overlooked.
College Dance Can Be a Protective Factor
Unlike many majors, college dance programs often provide:
Built-in mentorship and faculty attention
Daily structure and accountability
Strong peer communities
High visibility within departments and across campus
Why? because you literally can’t skip dance classes and pass
In dance departments, majors are:
Known by name
Recruited for interdisciplinary projects
Connected to alumni networks, guest artists, and opportunities
For many students, this level of connection is a protective factor—academically, socially, and emotionally—especially during the transition to adulthood. The worst financial decision you can make is take on debt for a college degree and not finish. We encourage dancers to take on as little debt as possible and stay on track to graduate.
College Dance Is Not Just About “Becoming a Dancer”
One of the most important things we do at Dance and College Counseling is help families move beyond the false binary of:
Dance career OR failure.
We are deeply committed to helping dancers find their AND.
That might look like:
Dance and psychology
Dance and education
Dance and arts administration
Dance and pre-health, business, or communications
College dance can help students develop:
Discipline and time management
Collaboration and leadership
Physical intelligence and adaptability
These skills translate far beyond the studio and they are the exact interpersonal skills that are needed in society today.
The Most Expensive Schools Are Not the Best Dance Schools
Dance is not a field where prestige correlates cleanly with quality—or outcomes.
There are:
Exceptional dance programs at regional public universities
Outstanding faculty at lesser-known schools
Affordable programs that offer real access to performance, research, and mentorship
In many cases, dancers thrive more when they are:
Seen and supported
Not buried under financial stress
Able to double major or explore interests fully
Financial Boundaries Are Part of Good Parenting
Saying “we can’t afford that” or “we’re not willing to take on that debt” is clear, and clarity is a gift. Early in the process—like when your high schooler is a sophomore (or today if that has already past) sit down and figure out what you are able and willing to contribute to college.
When financial limits are named early, dancers can:
Build realistic college lists
Make informed tradeoffs
Feel less pressure to “make it worth it at any cost”
This honesty allows college to be a step forward—not a financial weight that lasts decades.
How Dance and College Counseling Supports Families
We take cost really seriously. We learn a families financial parameters, values, and comfort levels and we help your dancer, who is just a kid figuring all this out, manage their feelings around finances and opportunities—while helping them see a world of possibilities.
Our work includes:
Helping families compare programs beyond the reputation or familiarity of the overall school
Identifying strong, affordable dance options
Supporting dancers in building multi-dimensional futures
Aligning college choices with both financial reality and personal values
Defining and cultivating dual career pathways to take advantage of opportunities to double major
We help your dancer build a life that works.
A Final Reframe
College dance doesn’t have to justify itself by producing a single outcome. The strength of a dance department is in sending dancers off into the world to do all sorts of interesting things.
The value of a dance major lies in:
Growth
Connection
Preparation for multiple possible futures
When chosen thoughtfully, college can be an investment—not just in dance, but in your dancer as a whole person. And dance can become a gateway to building that member of society.