2025 Best Dance Colleges

Academic Highlights: NYU is divided into a number of smaller (but still quite large) colleges organized by discipline; in sum, there are 270 areas of undergraduate study across nine schools and colleges. For its size, a commendable 59% of classes have an enrollment under 20 students. The school puts a great deal of money into undergraduate research, and it has been running an Undergraduate Research Conference for over forty years. Summer research opportunities are plentiful, including through the School of Engineering’s ten-week summer research program for rising juniors and seniors. With more than 4,000 students studying in foreign countries each year, NYU sends more undergrads abroad than any other US university.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of exiting, 94% of Class of 2023 grads had landed at their next destination, with 71% employed and 26% in graduate school. Large numbers of alumni can be found at Google, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Meta, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The mean starting salary is $76,011. New York is (by more than ten times) the most popular destination over number two choice California. New Jersey, Texas, and Massachusetts were next in attracting the highest numbers of recent alumni.

Academic Highlights: The Juilliard School offers an unparalleled conservatory experience with an extraordinary 4:1 student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring intensive mentorship from world-renowned artists. Students from 42 states and 50 countries participate in 700+ annual performances across the school’s five theaters, while all curricula integrate rigorous training with essential studies in literature, philosophy, history, and social sciences. The Center for Innovation in the Arts further bridges tradition and progress by empowering students to pioneer new works through cutting-edge technology.

Professional Outcomes: Juilliard graduates consistently reach the pinnacle of their fields across all disciplines. Alumni shape global arts institutions, including the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic, while others lead as faculty at elite conservatories like the Manhattan School of Music. Many build successful independent careers as performers and creators. These exceptional outcomes are reflected in strong financial returns—median earnings grow from $64,100 early-career to $122,800 at mid-career—demonstrating how artistic excellence translates to sustainable professional success.

Academic Highlights: Close to half of classrooms contain fewer than twenty Bruins, but those taking introductory courses will find themselves in a fair number of lecture halls with a hundred or more students. Professors are given impressively high marks for a research university of UCLA’s size. 93% of College of Letters and Science seniors rate their professors as being intellectually challenging. By the time they graduate, 45% of undergraduates have participated in a research experience. Every year, roughly one-quarter of the undergraduate population elects to study abroad, a sharp increase from only a few years ago. UCLA has 115 partner universities in 40+ countries around the globe.

Professional Outcomes: Thousands of alumni can be found working at Google, Amazon, and Apple. Companies that employ over 100 Bruins each include Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, TikTok, NVIDIA, and LinkedIn. Ultimately, one-third of UCLA grads go on to enroll in graduate/professional school, with many choosing to stay at their alma mater. Otherwise, the most attended grad schools are primarily other excellent California-based institutions including Stanford, USC, and Berkeley. For graduates early in their careers, the median salary is $78,600, with mid-career median earnings reaching over $149k. Many alumni remain in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area after graduating; other popular destinations include the San Francisco Bay area and New York City.

Academic Highlights: Aided by a favorable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities. Each school/college has a course entitled Directed Research 490 in which students work closely with a faculty supervisor and earn between two and eight credits, countless other opportunities exist to get one’s hands dirty in academic research. Each department has its own slate of study abroad offerings and Maymester programs, which are short-term intensive courses held stateside and abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The median salary across all majors is an astounding $85k. Presently, between 500 and 2,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, NVIDIA, and Oracle. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2023 USC grads include Columbia, UCLA, Pepperdine, and Harvard, with most remaining at USC for their advanced studies.

Academic Highlights: Fordham’s 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 23 students. Some classes will be on the smaller side as 50% of sections contain nineteen or fewer students. Rarely will an undergrad end up in a classroom of more than forty students. A substantial 36% of the student body spends a semester abroad at one of the school’s 125 programs in 50+ countries. The undergraduate research program has awarded 1.5 million dollars to students over the last decade and recently saw thirty-eight undergrads obtain coauthor status on professor-published work in a single year.

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2023 graduates found employment, graduate school, or other meaningful activities at an 89% clip within six months of receiving their degrees. Over half of this group landed employment and enjoyed an average salary of $68,375. Significant numbers of 2023 grads found homes at major companies including PwC (27), EY (24), JP Morgan Chase (16), Deloitte (14), KPMG (12), and Morgan Stanley (12). The greatest number of recent graduates pursuing an advanced degree landed at Fordham, Columbia, NYU, and St. John’s University.

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty is a 17:1, which translates into somewhat larger class sizes. Ten percent of sections contain more than fifty students, and 4% have more than 100. However, that is balanced by the 66% of sections that contain fewer than twenty students. Undergraduate research is taken advantage of by one-quarter of students, and the school plans to greatly expand such offerings in the coming years. An abundance of study abroad choices include special summer programs in Panama, Florence, London, and Valencia, Spain. FSU has 60 academic programs available in 20 locations throughout the world; 2,500+ students per year participate.

Professional Outcomes: Eighty-three percent of job-seeking Seminole grads receive at least one offer of employment within three months of graduation. Thirty percent of seniors found employment through Career Center services at FSU. Employers hiring the greatest number of FSU alumni include Apple, Northrop Grumman, EY, General Motors, and Deloitte. Roughly one-third of recent Florida State grads elected to immediately pursue admission into an advanced degree program; 84% of those who apply receive at least one acceptance. Geographically, the greatest number of alumni remain in Florida but large numbers also relocate to Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas, New York, and California.

Academic Highlights: UArizona undergrads can choose from over 150 majors. A 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to a mix of smaller and larger course sections with 32% of classes having an enrollment of under 20 and 16% possessing 50 or more students. Through the Undergraduate Research & Inquiry Collaborative, students can access dozens of research-related resources and opportunities. Over ninety opportunities to study abroad during the year or in the summer are available, including 14 Arizona Abroad program at locations as varied as Madrid, Tokyo, and Bangkok.

Professional Outcomes: In recent years, some of the top employers hiring Arizona grads have been Raytheon, Banner Health, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, and ADP. An astonishing 92% of employers rate Wildcats as coming to their first job with the skills needed to succeed; One in three students stay in Tuscon post-graduation, with Phoenix and Los Angeles also proving popular with Wildcat alumni.

Academic Highlights: Berklee College of Music stands as the world’s largest independent music institution, offering an unparalleled global music education with students from 105+ countries. The college maintains an exceptional 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 89% of courses enrolling fewer than 20 students – ensuring personalized mentorship from industry professionals. Students choose from 16 majors, plus 30+ minors and specializations, while the Valencia campus provides unique international study opportunities in Spain’s thriving music scene.

Professional Outcomes: Berklee’s career outcomes are extraordinary, with 98% of graduates employed or self-employed within 18 months—92% in music-related fields. Alumni shape every facet of the industry, from Grammy-winning artists at The Recording Academy to innovators at Apple and Universal Music Group, while many build successful freelance careers. These professionals command strong early-career median earnings of $61,900, demonstrating that musical excellence translates to sustainable success in today’s creative economy.

Academic Highlights: Chapman offers 50+ majors in STEM, humanities, communication, the arts, and business. Overall, 43% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1. Students can engage in faculty-mentored projects, apply for funding via programs like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), and present their work at the annual Student Scholar Symposium. The school regularly receives acclaim for its innovation and the quality of undergraduate teaching.

Professional Outcomes: The Walt Disney Company, Amazon, Deloitte, Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Netflix, and Circle Advertising are the most common employers of Chapman graduates. In 2023. 62% of that cohort had already secured employment by graduation day. Most graduates remain in the state of California, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Irvine attracting particularly high numbers of alumni.

Academic Highlights: As America’s first public arts conservatory, this institution offers an exceptionally intensive training environment with a remarkable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students immerse themselves in one of five specialized schools while balancing artistic rigor with academic coursework through the Division of Liberal Arts. With 90% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students, the conservatory ensures personalized mentorship. Unique study abroad opportunities—available exclusively through invitation-only, faculty-led trips—provide carefully curated global experiences for developing artists.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates thrive in diverse artistic careers, with many building successful freelance practices while others join prestigious organizations like Cirque du Soleil, NBCUniversal, and the Actors’ Equity Association. While a strong contingent remains rooted in North Carolina’s vibrant arts scene, alumni networks flourish in creative hubs like New York and Los Angeles. These career paths reflect the conservatory’s dual success in nurturing both entrepreneurial artists and industry professionals, prepared to excel in today’s evolving performing arts landscape.

Academic Highlights: The university’s 18 colleges and schools house 100+ undergraduate programs. Forty-four percent of courses enroll 19 students or fewer, while 19% are on the larger side, enrolling 50 or more students. Those seeking more personalized mentorship can pursue opportunities through the Office of Undergraduate Research, which connects with over 3,600 students in person and another 4,200+ via its virtual Education Series. Those who wish to study abroad can access over 50 programs in 26 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 71% of recent grads planned to enter full-time employment, while 25% jumped directly into an advanced degree program. Employers hiring the greatest number of Utes include Intermountain Healthcare, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Adobe, Microsoft, Google, and Lucid Software. The average starting salary is $55,714, and the median is $52,000.

Academic Highlights: With an exceptional 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of just 15 students, Muhlenberg College offers one of the most personalized undergraduate experiences among national universities. This intimate learning environment shines in the classroom—81% of courses enroll 19 or fewer students—while global perspectives flourish through study abroad programs that attract over half of the student body. Students choose from 40 majors and 37 minors within this supportive academic community that emphasizes close mentorship and intellectual exploration.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates launch successful careers with leading employers like Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke’s, Deloitte, ADP, Merck, and Air Products. Alumni networks thrive in key Northeast metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC-Baltimore, demonstrating the university’s strong regional connections and the mobility of its degrees. These outcomes reflect the powerful combination of personalized education and professional preparation that defines the Muhlenberg experience.

Academic Highlights: In total, SMU offers 120+ majors and 85 minors. Thanks in part to an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, 55% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Opportunities for personal connection and guidance extend beyond the classroom as 1,000 current SMU students have participated in undergraduate research or apprenticeships. The 150 study abroad programs in 50 countries attract about one-quarter of Mustangs at some point during their four years of study.

Professional Highlights: On graduation day, over 88% of recent grads already had their first jobs or graduate school destinations in hand. Major corporations employing the greatest number of Mustangs are Lockheed Martin, JP Morgan Chase, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, Raytheon, Amazon, AT&T, and Goldman Sachs. In 2023, the average starting salary was $90k across all majors ($99k for Cox School of Business grads). Ten percent of seniors elected to immediately pursue an advanced degree, matriculating at prestigious institutions such as the University of Notre Dame, NYU, Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Boston University.

Academic Highlights: The University of South Florida stands as an academic powerhouse with 240+ undergraduate programs spanning 14 colleges, offering unparalleled breadth from baccalaureate to doctoral levels. While the university maintains a 22:1 student-to-faculty ratio overall, it delivers surprising intimacy—45% of course sections enroll fewer than 20 students. High-achieving students gain access to the transformative Judy Genshaft Honors College, where exclusive small seminars and specialized campus experiences create an elite liberal arts environment within this major research university.

Professional Outcomes: USF serves as the talent engine for Florida’s booming economy, with graduates snapped up by premier employers including Moffitt Cancer Center, Raymond James, and tech giants like Microsoft and Google. The university’s strong regional roots show in outcomes—many alumni choose to build careers in Greater Tampa Bay, fueling local innovation while enjoying strong financial returns (median earnings of $64,200 in early career, rising to $113,700 at mid-career).

Academic Highlights: IU offers 200+ majors The university’s 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio is strong for a school of Indiana’s size, and it does make an effort to keep undergraduate classes on the small side. While there are a number of introductory courses that transpire in giant lecture halls, 35% of all sections contain no more than 19 students. Experiential learning opportunities are available to those who seize them; over one-quarter of arts and sciences students completed research with a faculty member. On the study abroad front, roughly the same percentage of A&S graduates spent a semester in a foreign country. In total, the school offers 380 programs in 70 countries and 20 languages.

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2023 grads reached their next employment or graduate school destination at a 92% rate within six months of receiving their degrees. The median starting salary for IU grads ranged between $54,000 and $60,000. Among the largest employers of Hoosier alumni are local pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, EY, Amazon, PwC, Salesforce, Deloitte, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Accenture, and Google. Indianapolis, Chicago, Bloomington, and New York City are the locales where you can find the greatest concentration of Indiana graduates.

Academic Highlights: Point Park University offers students an ideal balance of choice and personal attention through 67 bachelor’s programs across five schools. With a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class sizes of 15-20 students, the university creates an intimate learning environment where 77% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. This personalized approach serves a diverse community representing all 50 states and 40 countries, fostering rich cultural exchange and professional networking within Pittsburgh’s vibrant urban campus.

Professional Outcomes: Point Park graduates form the backbone of Pittsburgh’s professional workforce, with strong representation at regional leaders like UPMC, PNC, and Pittsburgh Public Schools. While most alumni build careers in Western Pennsylvania, influential networks thrive in major creative and business hubs, including New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. With median earnings of $46,000 after ten years, Point Park demonstrates its success in providing accessible career pathways that fuel both individual mobility and regional economic growth.

Academic Highlights: At Butler, undergrads can select from over 90 academic majors. An excellent 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to very few large lecture halls; just 3% of class sections contain more than 50 students. Known for the quality of its undergraduate teaching, Butler delivers a quality education without a harrowing admissions process.

Professional Outcomes: Butler grads enjoyed a 98% placement rate in 2023. The median starting salary is a solid $65,497 and prominent employers of last year’s grads include NBCUniversal, Eli Lilly, USA Today, Cleveland Clinic, Pfizer,  Ascension Health, and The Walt Disney Company. Butler alumni enter all types of graduate institutions including the likes of Purdue, NYU, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Yale, and Northwestern.

Academic Highlights: UCI offers over eighty undergrad programs as well as many opportunities for personal connection; 54% of all sections enroll 19 or fewer students and over 70% of students participate in undergraduate research. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program helps students with proposal writing, developing research plans, and presenting their results at the annual spring UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium and/or publishing their results in the UCI Undergraduate Research Journal.

Professional Outcomes: Companies employing large numbers of recent grads include Amazon, Deloitte, Northrop Grumman, Ernst & Young, and PwC. Hundreds of alumni are also found at Google, Microsoft, and Meta. The median salary is $70,000, with School of Information and Computer Sciences grads earning $117k right off the bat. 38% of graduates enroll in graduate school, with many choosing to remain at UC Irvine. The majority pursue master’s degrees (89%), with the remainder enrolling in doctorate programs.

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges. Michigan sports a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 18% of classes contain 50 or more students, but a solid 53% of classes offer a more intimate experience with fewer than 20 students. The Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program draws in 1,300 participants each year who partner with 800+ research mentors. For students in all academic programs at Michigan, study abroad opportunities are taken advantage of at high rates. In fact, the university is second in the nation in the number of students it sends to study in foreign lands.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school. The median salary across all majors is approximately 70k. Top employers include PwC, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Deloitte, Citi, Bank of America, and Capital One.  Within six months, 93% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $99k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft employ the greatest number of alumni.

Academic Highlights: The student-faculty ratio is an inviting 9:1, and 67% of classes contain fewer than 20 students; 16% contain fewer than ten. Conn College’s faculty has a reputation for being wholly committed to teaching and forging meaningful relationships with students. Evidence of a personalized experience can be found in the numbers—91% of last year’s grads completed a capstone project, 34% engaged in an individual study with a professor’s guidance, and 36% reported giving a public presentation or performance during their undergraduate career. Slightly less than half of students elect to study abroad in 40 countries, with Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom being the most common destinations.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 95% of alumni are employed or in graduate school. Companies employing twenty or more alumni include Pfizer, Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte, and UBS. Camels end up working predominately in New York (33%) and Massachusetts (22%), but New London/Norwich, Connecticut; DC; San Francisco; and Hartford claim sizable numbers of alumni as well. Conn College is also a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and many students continue their studies at prestigious schools – Brown, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Princeton, and Yale, to name a few.

Academic Highlights: There are 250+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. A 17-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to fairly large classes as only 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, so expect a fair number of courses in a large lecture hall setting. Still, aggressive students can find opportunities to work closely with faculty. The Office of Undergraduate Research & Inquiry helps approximately 600 students per year participate in undergraduate research forums. All told, approximately 20% of students gain research experience. Last year, nearly 1,800 undergraduates elected to study abroad in one of 350+ short- and long-term programs spread across 70 countries; OSU has the third-highest study abroad enrollment numbers in the Big 10.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 64% of Class of 2023 graduates entered the world of employment while 14% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.  Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, and more than 500 work for Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

Academic Highlights: Oklahoma City University offers students a personalized private university experience with 70+ undergraduate majors across eight distinct schools and colleges. With an excellent 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 77% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students, OCU creates an intimate learning environment that fosters close mentorship. This supportive academic community brings together students from 45 states and 36 countries, blending local roots with global perspectives.

Professional Outcomes: OCU graduates show strong regional loyalty, with most building careers in the Oklahoma City area and significant clusters in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tulsa. The university serves as a vital talent pipeline for Oklahoma’s leading employers, including INTEGRIS Health, OU Health, Paycom, and Devon Energy. The Class of 2024 achieved solid outcomes, with 69% employed and 11% continuing their education, demonstrating OCU’s success in preparing students for both immediate career opportunities and advanced academic pursuits.

Academic Highlights: SUNY Purchase delivers a distinctive public liberal arts education, offering 48 majors and 38 minors within an intentionally intimate learning environment. True to its liberal arts mission, 72% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, supported by an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 18. While 81% of students hail from New York, the campus community represents 41 states and 35 countries, creating dynamic exchanges between local perspectives and global viewpoints.

Professional Outcomes: Purchase graduates thrive in diverse fields, with 90% achieving success through employment (87%) or graduate study (12%). The college’s emphasis on experiential learning proves transformative, with 92% of students completing hands-on opportunities, preparing them for impactful careers. Alumni contribute significantly to the New York economy with organizations like the NYC Department of Education, while others excel at global innovators like Apple and Amazon. Many build rewarding independent practices, demonstrating the versatility of a Purchase education in today’s evolving professional landscape.

Academic Highlights: UT Austin offers over 170 majors. Sn encouraging 36% of course sections enroll nineteen or fewer students. Opportunities for undergraduate research vary by school, and many student must compete for slots in programs such as Summer Research Scholars or use the Eureka database to find individual professors offering research assistantships. A robust study abroad program boasts 400 offerings in 100+ foreign countries; 4,600+ students participate each year, the third-largest number in the country.

Professional Outcomes:  Over 1000 alumni work in the offices of Dell, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte; IBM, Meta, Oracle, and AMD employ over 500 each. Graduates early in their careers earn a median salary of $77,400, with median mid-career pay reaching $141,100. Roughly one-quarter of University of Texas at Austin undergraduates go on to pursue advanced degrees after completing their bachelor’s. Many pursue advanced study at UT Austin itself, which offers more than one hundred graduate programs. Many alumni stay in Texas after graduation, settling in Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Academic Highlights: Of all the courses at the college, 76% had 19 or fewer students enrolled, and professors are generous with their time in an academic environment conducive to the formation of mentorships. Undergraduate research opportunities are not hard to locate. In fact, according to the school, “Many students coauthor articles with faculty, which are published in scholarly journals and presented at national meetings.” The Office of Study Away helps arrange for over 300 students per year to study in a foreign land. School-run opportunities such as Oberlin-in-London are on the table as are 100+ affiliated programs.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months, 74% of recent grads found employment, 17% enrolled in graduate school, and just 5% were still seeking employment. Multiple recent grads were hired by Google, Netflix, and Sony Pictures. Over the last few years, multiple students have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at Harvard, MIT, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Purdue, and the University of Michigan. Oberlin also has a reputation for churning out future PhDs and is the number one liberal arts college (per capita) across all disciplines in producing graduates who go on to earn their doctoral degrees.

Academic Highlights: Barnard has a 10:1 student-faculty ratio and a sensational 70% of courses are capped at nineteen or fewer students; 18% have fewer than ten. Many get the chance to engage in research alongside a professor as 280+ undergraduates are granted such an opportunity through the Summer Research Institute each year.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 91% of recent Barnard grads had found employment or were enrolled in a graduate program. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citibank all appear on the list of the top fifteen employers of Barnard alumni. Those entering graduate school flock in large numbers to Columbia, with 123 heading there over the last three years. Sixteen Barnard students and alumnae were selected as Fulbright recipients in 2024 – making Barnard a top producer of Fulbright scholars for seven years in a row.

Academic Highlights: Belhaven University provides a Christ-centered education through 80 areas of study. With a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 78% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students, Belhaven ensures personalized attention within a diverse community representing 40 states and 20 countries. This intimate learning environment fosters meaningful mentorship and spiritual growth alongside academic development.

Professional Outcomes: Belhaven graduates make significant contributions across the South, with many building careers in the Jackson area and alumni networks in Memphis, Brandon, and Houston. The university serves as a key talent source for regional leaders, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson Public Schools, and Nissan North America, demonstrating Belhaven’s strong connections to Mississippi’s professional community and beyond.

Academic Highlights: TCU offers 117 undergraduate majors. With a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, classes at TCU are not all tiny, but the school manages to keep enrollment below 20 students in 41% of its class sections, and only 5% of courses seat more than 50. Of equal importance, 98% of faculty members teach undergraduate students, so you will have access to the best and brightest professors the school has to offer. The study abroad program makes international study readily accessible, and two-fifths of undergrads enjoy a semester overseas.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 81% of recent diploma-earners were employed or had their graduate school placement lined up. Deloitte, American Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs employ the greatest number of alumni. Other companies hiring recent TCU grads include Microsoft, IBM, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, Cerner, PWC, and AT&T. The most recent median starting salary was $65,000.

Academic Highlights: Pace University offers a dynamic global education with 135 undergraduate degrees to students from all 50 states and 108 countries. The university combines the energy of New York with personalized attention through a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio, where 54% of classes maintain fewer than 20 students (average class size: 18). This intimate learning environment fosters meaningful mentorship while preparing students for leadership in an interconnected world.

Professional Outcomes: Pace University graduates achieve outstanding career success, with 94% of the Class of 2023 securing positive outcomes. Alumni thrive at top-tier employers, including JPMorgan Chase, Citi, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, PwC, EY, Amazon, and the NYC Department of Education. An impressive 86% report their careers align directly with their academic preparation, while earning strong average starting salaries of $74,885. These results demonstrate Pace’s powerful ability to connect classroom learning with real-world professional achievement in competitive markets.

Academic Highlights: Slippery Rock University provides comprehensive academic opportunities with 150+ undergraduate majors, offering the resources of a mid-sized public institution with a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio. While maintaining accessible class sizes, SRU focuses on engaged learning—74% of courses enroll 20-49 students, creating dynamic classroom environments. The innovative Rock Integrated Studies program forms the core of the undergraduate experience, challenging students to connect knowledge across disciplines and apply it to real-world contexts.

Professional Outcomes: SRU graduates form a powerful professional network across Pennsylvania and beyond, with strong concentrations in the Pittsburgh area and throughout the Northeast corridor. Alumni lead at regional powerhouses including UPMC, PNC, and Dick’s Sporting Goods, demonstrating the university’s strong connections to Pennsylvania’s major industries. These career pathways showcase SRU’s success in preparing graduates who contribute meaningfully to their communities while advancing in their chosen fields.

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. UF impressively offers 50% of sections with an enrollment of fewer than 20 students. The Center for Undergraduate Research offers a University Research Scholars program as well as summer opportunities, hosts its own Undergraduate Research Symposium, and publishes its own UF Journal of Undergraduate Research. Forty percent of all undergrads have such an experience. The school has connections to 1,100 study abroad programs that are taken advantage of by more than 2,900 undergrads each year.

Professional Outcomes: The University of Florida demonstrates exceptional career preparation, with 83% of the Class of 2024 securing employment by graduation day. Gator alumni have established a strong presence at leading tech giants, with 200+ graduates currently working at Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Oracle. The class achieved an impressive average starting salary of $68,000. For those continuing their education, popular graduate destinations include the University of South Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and Georgia Tech, showcasing UF’s strong pipeline to both immediate employment and advanced academic opportunities.

Academic Highlights: An undergraduate-only institution, there are 40+ majors to choose from. Skidmore’s average class size is only 16 students, and 97% of sections have fewer than thirty students. Eighteen percent of sections enroll only single digits. Each year, roughly 500 students—20% of the student body—engage in research with a faculty mentor, including eighty students who participate in the Summer Student-Faculty Research Program. Internships and service-learning courses are a normal part of the Skidmore experience. More than half of students study abroad at one of 120 programs in 45 countries, a rate of participation that places it at the very top in the nation.

Professional Outcomes: Ninety-one percent of the Class of 2023 were employed or pursuing further education a year after graduation. Recent alumni were hired by Blackrock, CBS, Deloitte, Fidelity Investments, Google, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo. Skidmore graduates pursuing further education enrolled in programs at Boston College, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and UPenn. The greatest concentration of alumni can be found in Greater New York City with Boston, Albany, and California the next most popular landing spots.

Academic Highlights: WashU admits students into four schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs.The university has a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students; over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. The Office of Undergraduate Research helps students land opportunities to research alongside faculty, primarily in the summers. A solid 60% of undergraduates report participating in a research endeavor and one-third study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 sent 65% of grads into the workforce and 23% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Boeing, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Mastercard, Capital One, and Bayer. Of the employed members of the Class of 2023 who reported their starting salaries, the median salary was $85k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, UPenn, University of Michigan, Vanderbilt, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio at UC Santa Barbara is a decent 17:1, and the school does an excellent job of keeping undergraduate class sizes on the small side. In fact, more than half of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 72% enroll 29 or fewer. Undergraduate research opportunities definitely exist for those willing to forge relationships with faculty outside the classroom. A solid 63% of graduates report engaging in some type of faculty-guided research. It’s not as easy to inspire Gauchos to leave their campus paradise for a semester in a foreign land—only around 20% of students participate in study abroad.

Professional Outcomes:  Over 500 UC Santa Barbara alumni currently work at Google, Apple, and Amazon, while Meta, Microsoft, Salesforce, AppFolio, and NVIDIA each employ 100+. Early in their career, UCSB alumni make a median salary of $75k; by mid-career, they earn a median income of $152k. Most graduates settle in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, followed by the San Francisco Bay area, and the San Diego metropolitan area.

Academic Highlights: Rutgers is divided into 19 schools and colleges, collectively offering 120+ undergraduate majors. Forty percent of class sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students compared to only 19% of sections that contain more than 50 undergrads. The Aresty Research Center facilitates several programs that match 300+ undergraduates per year with faculty members conducting research in an area of interest. An annual Undergraduate Research Symposium—one of the largest in the country—has showcased thousands of student projects in its 20 years of existence.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 89% of Class of 2023 grads had secured a first job or were heading to an advanced degree program. 71% headed directly to the world of employment, where the companies hiring the largest number of grads included RWJBarnabas Health, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin. Investment banks like JP Morgan Chase employ hundreds of alumni, as do companies like Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and CVS Pharmacy. The median starting salary across all majors was $70,000.

Academic Highlights: Elon’s 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 20 students; 49% of sections contain fewer than 20 students. A whopping 88% of students elect to study abroad, the highest participation rate in the country among master’s-granting institutions. There are limitless options for overseas study including official Elon Centers Abroad in Shanghai, Dunedin, London, and Florence. Chances for working closely with faculty on research projects are also plentiful; 23% of students participate in faculty-mentored research.

Professional Outcomes: Results of a survey administered nine months after graduation found that 96% of the Class of 2023 had found employment, a graduate school, or an internship. Top employers of recent Elon graduates include Bloomberg, Deloitte, Fidelity Investments, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Oracle, and Wells Fargo. Fourteen percent of recent grads attended prestigious grad schools, including Boston University, Columbia, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

Academic Highlights: Montclair State University provides students with exceptional academic choices through 300 majors, minors, and concentrations across 13 colleges and schools. The university maintains an ideal balance of resources and personal attention with its 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, where the average class size is just 24 students. Remarkably, only 2% of courses exceed 50 students, ensuring most learning occurs in engaged, participatory environments rather than impersonal lecture halls.

Professional Outcomes: Montclair State graduates build successful careers with leading employers, including Hackensack Meridian Health, Verizon, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Johnson & Johnson, with strong alumni networks throughout the New York metro area and New Jersey. These career outcomes, combined with median earnings of $61,000 after ten years, demonstrate the university’s effectiveness in preparing students for professional success while serving as a vital talent pipeline for the region’s key industries.

Academic Highlights: The quarter system allows students to take four courses at a time rather than the typical five. Even so, the academic demands are intense, and Northwestern students work hard for their grades. The university has a phenomenal 6:1 student-faculty ratio, and a spectacular 39% of class sections have nine or fewer students enrolled; 76% have fewer than twenty enrollees. Faculty receive generally favorable reviews from undergraduate students and are rated as being highly accessible outside of the classroom. Fifty-eight percent of recent grads had the chance to conduct research with a faculty member at some point during their undergraduate years.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 70% of the Class of 2023 had found employment and 25% were in graduate school. Employers include Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Deloitte, McKinsey & Co., and Salesforce. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $77k. The vast majority of Northwestern graduates can be found in Illinois, with the next largest concentration of alums living in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.

Academic Highlights: Alabama manages to keep classes on the smaller side, with 48% enrolling under 20 students and 64% enrolling under 30. Each year, more UA students choose to pursue research opportunities; participation in the annual Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity conference has increased by over 30% since 2022. Historically, only a small percentage of undergrads study abroad—about 5% each year—but hundreds of options are available, and the university directly partners with nearly 30 programs in 13 countries.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 92% of alumni have already achieved a positive result; 58% go into the working world and one-third enter graduate/professional school. Top employers include Amazon, AT&T, Capital One, Dell Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. The average salary for a Class of 2023 grad was $61,738. For grad school, the highest number of students stay at Alabama while many others enroll at Vanderbilt, LSU, and the University of Mississippi.

Academic Highlights: LMU’s 55 majors and 58 minors are taught by faculty heralded for their warmth and accessibility, a sentiment backed by an 11:1 faculty-to-student ratio. Fifty-six percent of courses enroll 19 or fewer students, and 99% enroll fewer than 39 individuals. There are four programs through which students can access on-campus research opportunities, including the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Each year, a healthy number of undergrads (usually 500+) elect to study abroad in more than 20 different countries including Ghana, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Professional Outcomes: Just 2% of LMU graduates in 2023 were still looking for work six months after completing their degrees. Seventy-five percent had procured employment, 22% were in graduate school, and 1% were engaged in some type of service program. Companies employing graduates include the Los Angeles Lakers, Oracle, Microsoft, NASA, PWC, RCA, NBC Universal, and the Smithsonian. Recent alumni have gone on to further their education in a range of disciplines at Georgetown, GWU, NYU, Stanford, Northwestern, and Notre Dame.

Academic Highlights: CalArts offers an intensely personalized arts education with an exceptional 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring every student receives individual mentorship and guidance. The curriculum across its six schools combines rigorous studio practice with critical theory, fostering both technical mastery and conceptual depth. This unique environment encourages experimental art-making where students develop distinctive creative voices under the guidance of working artist faculty.

Professional Outcomes: CalArts graduates shape global arts and entertainment, with alumni leading at Apple, Netflix, Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. While many artists pursue successful freelance careers, the institute’s industry connections place graduates at the heart of creative innovation. The financial returns are impressive—early median earnings of $71,600 grow to $113,200 at mid-career, demonstrating that artistic excellence translates to sustainable success.

Academic Highlights: Marymount Manhattan College delivers an intimate liberal arts education with 32 majors and 40+ minors/pre-professional programs, all supported by an exceptional 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. This personalized learning environment brings together students from 48 states and 50 countries, creating dynamic classroom discussions infused with diverse perspectives. True to its Manhattan location, the college blends rigorous academics with unparalleled access to New York City’s cultural and professional resources.

Professional Outcomes: Marymount Manhattan graduates establish strong roots in creative and professional fields, with 67% employed and 6% pursuing advanced degrees. Most alumni build their careers in the New York metropolitan area, with significant communities in New Jersey and Los Angeles. They contribute to prominent organizations including NBCUniversal, Apple, and the NYC Department of Education, while other graduates forge successful independent careers—a testament to the college’s emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking and professional adaptability.

Academic Highlights: With 48 departmental and interdepartmental majors as well as the option to design your own major, MHC students are free to follow their academic passions. 74% of sections contain fewer than twenty students; 11% are single-digit seminar classes. Opportunities to research and publish alongside faculty are definitely available, and many 200- and 300-level courses have independent research baked-in as a requirement. Across all disciplines, more ambitious students can arrange summer research internships with professors. More than one hundred study abroad options are on the table.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after commencement, 61% of 2023 grads had found employment, 25% had entered graduate/professional school, and 4% had landed fellowships/internships. The top Lyon employers of recent grads included Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, the National Institutes of Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Microsoft, IBM, Harvard University, and Amazon also employ a healthy number of Lyons. Given the number of grads entering the public sector or pursuing graduate degrees, it isn’t shocking that average salary statistics for alumni tend to be on the low side—the average starting salary in 2023 was $50k. Plenty of alumni can be found in New York, California, or international locales.

Academic Highlights: Towson University provides students with exceptional academic choices through 110+ majors, concentrations, and tracks across diverse disciplines. The university maintains an ideal 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, creating a balanced learning environment where 36% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students (average class size: 24) and only 2% exceed 50 students. This thoughtful approach ensures students benefit from both personalized attention and the dynamic energy of medium-sized classes.

Professional Outcomes: Towson’s Class of 2024 achieved outstanding results, with 90% securing positive outcomes within six months—79% employed in Maryland and 17% enrolled in graduate programs at institutions like Georgetown and Johns Hopkins. Graduates command strong average starting salaries of $60,840 while contributing to top employers, including Northrop Grumman, Morgan Stanley, and Booz Allen Hamilton. These outcomes demonstrate TU’s dual strength as both Maryland’s workforce engine and a springboard to elite graduate programs.

Academic Highlights: Smith has 50 academic departments and programs. With only a small number of graduate students to worry about, 19% of undergraduate sections have single-digit enrollments, and 68% of total class sections enroll fewer than 20 students. Nearly half of all students conduct research with a professor by the time they graduate. Around 35% of juniors spend a semester abroad in one of 150 programs, including Smith-created offerings in Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, and Paris.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 72% of alumnae had found employment. More than 25 alumnae can be found at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, Fidelity Investments, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, and Accenture. Within 10 years of graduation, 73% of alumnae had enrolled in graduate or professional studies. Recent Smith graduates attended Columbia, Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins. Massachusetts is the most popular destination for grads, with the largest number heading to Boston or staying in Northampton. New York is next in popularity, followed by California.

Academic Highlights: Temple offers 160+ undergraduate programs. Forty-four percent of classes have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 72% of courses contain no more than 29 undergraduates. Undergraduate research positions are available across all 12 undergraduate schools and colleges, including a seven-month-long funded research experience called the Diamond Research Scholars program. The school offers plenty of study abroad opportunities, including its own programs in Spain, Japan, and Italy. A touch over 10% of undergrads take a semester in a foreign country.

Professional Outcomes: Fifty-one percent of recent grads quickly secured employment and another 18% were enrolled in graduate school. Top employers included the School District of Philadelphia, Vanguard, SEI, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin. Hundreds of Owl alumni can be found at Merck, Comcast, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, and Bristol Myers Squibb. The highest percentage of grads reside in Philadelphia, with New York City and Washington, DC, next in popularity.

Academic Highlights: UNLV offers students robust academic opportunities through 78 majors and 84 minors across 16 colleges and schools, all supported by an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The university’s research enterprise thrives through 55+ specialized centers and institutes, providing undergraduates with exceptional hands-on learning experiences. This combination of academic breadth and research depth prepares students to excel in Las Vegas’ dynamic economy and beyond.

Professional Outcomes: UNLV graduates form the backbone of Southern Nevada’s professional workforce, with top employers including the Clark County School District, MGM Resorts International, and Caesars Entertainment. More than 60% of alumni choose to build their careers in Nevada, contributing significantly to the state’s key industries, while others make their mark at national leaders like Amazon. With median earnings of $55,000 after ten years, UNLV demonstrates its vital role as both an economic engine for Las Vegas and a launchpad for professional success.

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Studying abroad is a fairly common feature of an Emory education, with 40% of students traveling to one of 100 international destinations.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 59% of 2023 grads were already employed, and 99% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Epic, NIH, Capital One, Fulbright US Student Program, Amazon, and Deloitte. The average starting salary was $61k.  In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top schools – Columbia, UPenn, Yale, the University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt. While a healthy number of Emory grads found employment in Georgia, the top destinations for the Class of 2023 included non-Southern locales in New York City, DC, LA, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Academic Highlights: This distinguished Christian liberal arts college, affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, offers students 91 majors, minors, and pre-professional programs within an intentionally intimate learning environment. With an exceptional 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 53% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students, the college fosters close mentorship and intellectual exploration. The campus community brings together students from 35 states and 36 countries, while global perspectives are deepened through study abroad opportunities in 60+ nations.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 achieved outstanding results, with 77% employed (86% in their field of study) and 24% enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation. An impressive 92% of graduate school applicants gained admission to their top-choice institutions, while alumni contribute significantly to regional industry leaders, including Corewell Health, Stryker, and Steelcase. These exceptional outcomes are fueled by the college’s emphasis on experiential learning, with 93% of students completing hands-on professional experiences – a testament to the powerful integration of faith, academics, and career preparation.

Academic Highlights: Bennington College revolutionizes liberal arts education by empowering students to completely design their own academic journey, transcending traditional majors through close faculty collaboration. With an enviable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 71% of classes under 20 students, this highly personalized approach creates a dynamic classroom. The signature Field Work Term ensures every student gains real-world experience, spending seven intensive winter weeks every year pursuing internships, research, or entrepreneurial ventures that directly inform their evolving academic path.

Professional Outcomes: Bennington’s radical approach yields extraordinary results: 100% of graduates complete at least four professional experiences before graduation, and 100% secure employment within 2-5 years, with 84% working in fields directly connected to their Bennington studies. The program’s emphasis on self-directed learning produces both successful entrepreneurs and sought-after professionals, with alumni making an impact everywhere from Apple and the Met to Columbia University. With an average early-career salary of $61,000—remarkable for arts-heavy curricula—Bennington proves that educational innovation translates to career success in the creative economy.