Best Universities for Dance in the UK 2027

What this ranking tells you about studying dance

Dance degrees vary more than their titles suggest. Some lean towards contemporary performance and choreography, others mix in commercial, jazz or musical theatre styles, and most now teach the business side of a freelance career. The ranking below shows which universities combine strong course results with a good place to live. The sections that follow cover auditions, entry requirements, performance work and the routes dancers take after graduating.

Lincoln leads with perfect teaching and support

Lincoln's BA (Hons) Dance is a three-year course, and applicants are invited to an audition. Students perform in two public showcases a year at Lincoln Arts Centre, whose theatre seats 450. In the final year, the Dance Company and Education module asks students to form a company, make a full-length work and take it on a small tour with workshops in schools. The university lists six studio and rehearsal spaces, including three dance studios with sprung floors.

Lincoln also offers an optional placement year after the second year, a chance to audition for Lincoln Dance Company, and an optional IDTA Level 4 Diploma in Dance Teaching for an extra fee. For a degree where many graduates teach, that last option is worth noting.

In the data, Lincoln is the only university with 100% teaching quality, and it shares the top academic-support result of 100% with Chichester and Roehampton. Its cost index of 63 is the second lowest, and its safety index of 74.41 is the third highest. Its £24,500 earnings figure is just above the £24,000 median, so its lead comes from the course and the city rather than early pay.

Bath Spa: joint second, but closed for 2027

Bath Spa's BA (Hons) Dance is taught at the Newton Park campus, with daily technique classes and regular performances. Visiting professional companies lead performance modules each year, and the third year includes a professional performance project and a work placement. There is also an optional Professional Placement Year of at least 900 hours. The course page states that it is not taking applications for 2027 entry, with applications for 2028 opening in September 2027, so it is an option for a gap year or later entry rather than this cycle.

Students use dance studios equipped for choreography, performance and digital media, and the University Theatre hosts professional performances and workshops. The wider campus also has an amphitheatre, TV studios and a Mac editing suite, which are useful if you want to make dance for screen. Bath Spa says its careers support continues for up to three years after graduation.

Bath Spa has the best sustainability score in the table at 80.2, with 94% teaching quality, 96% academic support and 79% satisfaction. The drawback is cost. Bath's index of 82 is the highest outside London, which is the main reason it does not challenge Lincoln for first.

Edge Hill: highest satisfaction and the safest setting

Edge Hill's BA (Hons) Dance makes all offers on the basis of an audition. Performance work is staged in the university's Arts Centre, which includes dance studios, black box studios and two theatres, plus an outdoor amphitheatre. In the final year, students create a full-length piece with professional collaborators and organise a small-scale tour. Modules on professional practice, community work and business planning prepare students for freelance careers.

Outside timetabled classes, students can join staff and student-led dance companies, and the student-run Dance Society runs its own classes and performances. The Studio Theatre also works as an aerial performance space.

In the data, Edge Hill records the highest satisfaction at 83%, the top safety index of 100 and the lowest cost index at 62, along with 98% teaching quality. It ties with Bath Spa rather than winning because of its £22,000 earnings figure and a social-life score of 71, which are both below most of the table.

Worcester takes third

Worcester's Dance and Performance BA (Hons) is a practical course covering technique, choreography and performance across styles including contemporary, jazz, musical theatre, lyrical and commercial dance. Assessment is through performances, choreographed work and portfolios, and placement and project modules are available. In October 2025 the university reported that Dance and Performance students now train on a new sprung dance floor. The course page does not mention an audition, so check the selection process before you apply. Past students have also worked on touring productions and in production roles such as camera operation, set design and stage lighting.

Worcester scores 97% for academic support, 92% for teaching quality and 79% for satisfaction, with a strong sustainability score of 72.2. Its earnings figure of £23,500 is a little below the median, and it finishes two points behind the joint second-placed pair.

Why the highest earners rank mid-table

Kingston University and Liverpool Hope University share the highest graduate-earnings figure at £27,000, but they finish seventh and eighth. Kingston has a cost index of 74 and a sustainability score of 45.1. Liverpool Hope has the lowest academic-support result in the table at 82%.

The University of Salford, just outside the top four in fourth place on 58, shows another trade-off. It scores 96% for both teaching and support and has the second-best social-life and sustainability scores, but a safety index of 39.42 holds it back. Buckinghamshire New University earns £26,000, above the median, yet its 80% teaching result is the lowest in the table and it finishes 13th.

The University of Chichester shows the reverse. It has the lowest earnings at £19,500 but records 100% academic support and 99% teaching quality. A safety index of 27.85, the lowest in the table, keeps it ninth. The three London universities all share the highest cost index of 91 and finish between 10th and 12th, despite academic-support results of 94% to 100%. For dance, where early earnings are often patchy, a high teaching and support result in an affordable city tends to score better than early pay.

Auditions: what to expect

Most dance degrees audition applicants, and the National Careers Service notes that dance courses usually require one. Lincoln, Bath Spa and Edge Hill all state that applicants are invited to audition. Bath Spa says its dance auditions include contemporary technique, performance skills and a creative workshop, and that no advance preparation is needed. It also says it does not charge audition fees.

Expect a technique class, a creative or choreographic task and time to ask questions. Bath Spa suggests activewear or black clothing. Bring water and be ready to try ideas you have not rehearsed.

Entry requirements and graded exams

None of the top four asks for specific A level subjects. For 2027 entry, Lincoln asks for 104 to 112 UCAS points, Edge Hill asks for 112 to 120 points and Worcester asks for 104 points. Bath Spa's most recent offer range is BBB to BCC at A level. Edge Hill also takes relevant experience into account.

Worcester notes that graded dance exams from bodies such as the ISTD, IDTA and RAD may carry UCAS points. If you have taken higher-grade exams, check whether they count towards your offer.

Performance and professional practice

Every leading course gives students real audiences. Lincoln runs public showcases twice a year, Edge Hill stages work in its Arts Centre theatres and Bath Spa brings in visiting companies to lead performance modules. Lincoln and Edge Hill both end with a touring project, which is good practice for the logistics of a professional career.

Look for modules on funding, marketing and running a project. Dance careers are often freelance, and the National Careers Service says dancers are frequently hired for a series of shows rather than on permanent contracts. Edge Hill's New Venture Creation module and Lincoln's Dance Management and Production module are examples of courses teaching that side directly.

Studios, floors and theatres

Dance is hard on the body, so facilities matter more than on most courses. Sprung floors reduce the impact of jumps and landings, and Lincoln and Worcester both mention sprung floors on their official pages. Ask how many studios dance students share with drama and musical theatre, and how easy it is to book space for rehearsals outside class.

Access to a proper theatre also makes a difference. Lincoln performs at Lincoln Arts Centre, Edge Hill uses the theatres in its Arts Centre and Bath Spa has the University Theatre on campus. Performing in a full venue with lighting and technical support is good preparation for professional work, and it gives you footage for a showreel.

University degree or vocational dance school

Not all dance training happens at universities. Some students train full time at private dance and drama schools, and the government's Dance and Drama Awards help eligible students aged 16 to 23 with fees and living costs at participating schools. Those courses lead to professional diplomas in dance or musical theatre, and you apply directly to the school.

Vocational training usually focuses on technique and performance for a stage career. A university degree spreads more widely, with choreography, teaching, community practice and academic study alongside performance. If you want to compare related options, see our performing arts ranking and drama, theatre and performance ranking.

Career routes after a dance degree

Performing is only one path. The top four list choreography, teaching in schools and private studios, community dance, movement direction, arts administration and dance for screen as graduate routes. Worcester says many of its graduates go on to a PGCE, and Bath Spa lists dance movement therapy among its graduate careers.

The National Careers Service notes that many dancers combine performing with part-time teaching or arts administration, and some later set up their own dance schools. Building teaching experience during your degree, through community projects or an extra teaching qualification, can make that mix easier.

Graduate earnings and living costs

Earnings in this table range from £19,500 to £27,000, with a median of £24,000. They come from the Graduate Outcomes survey, which asks graduates about their work around 15 months after finishing. Many dance graduates at that point are building freelance and teaching work, so the figures are an early snapshot rather than a guide to long-term income.

Living costs vary far more. Edge Hill's Ormskirk has a cost index of 62 and Lincoln 63, compared with 91 for the three London universities. Dance students often need money for classes, workshops and travel to auditions, so a cheaper city helps. Our guide to student accommodation costs can help you plan your budget.