Dance Programs in California
BFA, BA, MFA, Minor & Community College Directory
28 college dance programs in California across 7 institution types. BFA, BA, MFA, minor, and AA transfer pathways. Free to browse. Updated weekly.
Verify before you decide. DanceFinder works to keep this current, but program details change — always confirm dates, costs, and requirements on the school's official website.
28
Programs
7
BFA
23
Cities
1
Conservatory
Featured programs in California
All California programs by institution type
Research University
14 programsSan Francisco State University
San Francisco
BADetailsUniversity of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles
BAMFAMADetailsUniversity of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
BABFADetailsUniversity of Southern California
Los Angeles
BFAMinorDetailsCalifornia State University Long Beach
Long Beach NASD
BFABAMFADetailsCalifornia State University Sacramento
Sacramento
BADetailsCalifornia State University, Dominguez Hills
Carson
BAMinorDetailsCalifornia State University, Fullerton
Fullerton NASD
BADetailsSan Jose State University
San Jose NASD
BABFADetailsUniversity of California Irvine
Irvine
BABFAMFADetailsUniversity of California, Berkeley
Berkeley
BAMinorDetailsUniversity of California, Davis
Davis
BAMinorMFADetailsUniversity of California, Riverside
Riverside
BAMFAPhDDetailsUniversity of California, San Diego
La Jolla
BAMinorDetails
Community College
6 programsLiberal Arts
3 programsReligious-Affiliated
2 programsConservatory
1 programPrivate University
1 programSpecialty School
1 programMore dance in California
Continue your search for dance training in California across DanceFinder:
Other US states with dance programs
Frequently asked questions
- How many college dance programs are in California?
- We track 28 college and university dance programs in California — 7 offer BFA degrees, 6 offer MFA, across 23 cities.
- Which California dance programs are NASD-accredited?
- 6 California programs in our directory are NASD-accredited, including California Institute of the Arts, Chapman University, California State University Long Beach. NASD accreditation is the national standard for dance-degree programs.
- Does California have any dance conservatories?
- Yes — California Institute of the Arts. Conservatories offer intensive pre-professional training with a smaller ratio of academic coursework than a research university.
- What's the difference between a BFA and a BA in dance?
- A BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) is a professional degree with ~75% studio + 25% academic coursework — best for students headed into performance, choreography, or industry careers. A BA (Bachelor of Arts) is closer to 50/50, giving flexibility for double majors, teaching credentials, or dance-adjacent careers.
- Can community college dance students transfer to a California BFA program?
- Yes — most 4-year BFA and BA dance programs in California accept community college transfers with an AA in dance or a general-education AA plus dance coursework. Individual credit acceptance varies; contact the receiving institution's admissions office. See our AA (transfer path) page for community colleges with dance programs.