Dance at Muhlenberg College

Muhlenberg's dance program shows dramatically better earnings than most alternatives, but the small graduating class means you're looking at a potentially volatile picture. This program ranks in the 80th percentile among Pennsylvania dance programs and 78th percentile nationally—impressive when you consider the typical dance graduate in Pennsylvania earns just $19,681 one year out, while Muhlenberg's grads start at $26,415.

The standout feature here is the earnings trajectory: graduates nearly double their income by year four, reaching $50,178. That's exceptional growth for a performing arts degree, though it's worth noting this could reflect just a handful of graduates finding lucrative non-dance careers (arts administration, education, corporate training) rather than a predictable career path. The $27,000 debt load sits at the program median and becomes quite manageable once that year-four income materializes, but those first few years require either financial cushion or supplemental income.

The small sample size matters more for dance than many fields—one graduate who becomes a high-earning choreographer or lands a Broadway contract can skew the entire dataset. If your child is genuinely committed to dance and understands the financial realities of early-career arts work, Muhlenberg's track record suggests better outcomes than most alternatives. Just recognize you're betting on a pattern drawn from limited data, not a well-worn path.