Dream of becoming a professional dancer like Rudolf Nureyev, Sylvie Guillem, or Anna Pavlova? You’d first need to attend one of the best dance schools in the world.
It’s also a smart career move. The global dance market wasvalued at US$3.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach US$6.68 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 7.98%, according to Global Growth Insights. Job opportunities are keeping pace with that growth — the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that overall employment of dancers and choreographers willgrow 5% from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations, with approximately 2,500 openings expected each year.
And with14,622 dance schools and studios currently operating in the US alone, there’s no shortage of places to start training.
Whether you are interested in ballet, tango, or bhangra, here are the best dance schools to equip you with the skills and techniques needed to succeed in the performing arts industry.
TL;DR? Here’s the summary:
- This article lists 16 of the best dance schools across the globe and how much their tuition costs.
- The most expensive school is NYU Tisch in the US.
- The most inexpensive option on this list of the best dance schools is K-Arts in South Korea.
11 of the best dance schools in the world
The Royal Ballet School of London, UK
Renowned for its excellent teaching, the Royal Ballet School of London is open to aspiring dancers aged 11 to 19 to receive rigorous training in classical ballet.
In particular, you will learn the techniques and artistry required to perform the distinctive and sought-after English style of classical ballet initiated by the school’s founder, Dame Ninette de Valois.
Those outside the UK can opt for the International Scholars Programme, which selects several gifted students aged 11 to 15 years to partake in the school’s curriculum for a certain time — and with the potential to join the school’s full-time programme too.
Many of the school’s graduates have joined top companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet in London and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Tuition for The Royal Ballet School of London:
- For 2025–26, Upper School (ages 16–19) boarding fees are 33,353 pound sterling/year (around US$45,310)
- White Lodge (ages 11–16) ranges from 33,956 pound sterling (day) to 45,805 pound sterling (boarding) (around US$46,130 to US$62,225)
Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Hong Kong
Established in 1984, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) has become a world-leading higher education institution in the performing arts, ranking #20 in theQS World University Ranking 2025.
Here, theHKAPA’s School of Dance offers four areas of study: undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and professional diploma. The school aims to train dancers to recognise Hong Kong as a place where Eastern and Western cultures intersect, while also helping them thrive in the ever-expanding dance scene.
Many of its graduates join the Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Dance Company, and City Contemporary Dance Company. Some even move on to becoming choreographers, dance and arts administrators, producers, dance scientists, dance researchers, and teachers.
Tuition for Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts:
- Undergraduate: 47,000 Hong Kong dollars (around US$6,000) for local students and $63,000 Hong Kong dollars (around US$8,050) for non-local students per year
- MFA in Dance (postgraduate, full-time): 107,000 Hong Kong dollars/year (around US$13,670)
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Scotland
Formerly known as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, theRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) is one of the best dance schools in the world.
Located in Glasgow, Scotland, the RCS offers BA programmes inModern Ballet andDance Artist.
RCS partners with the Scottish Ballet and provides opportunities for students to perform at national events such as those at Buckingham Palace, as well as at high-profile international competitions, including the Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, YAGP, Cecchetti Competition, and the Prix de Lausanne.
The programme even prepares you for careers in the Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet, Ballet Cymru, National Ballet of Portugal, and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures.
Tuition for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- For 2026/27, BA Modern Ballet and BA Dance Artist fees are 1,820 pound sterling/year for Scottish students (around US$2472)
- 9,790 pound sterling/year for Rest of UK students (around US$13,300)
- 27,968 pound sterling/year for international (including EU) students (around US$38,000)
Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland
The Sibelius Academy (SibA) is one of Europe’s largest music academies. As part of the University of Arts Helsinki, SibA offers the highest level of arts education in Finland, ranking #14 in the field of performing arts in theQS World University Rankings 2025.
The Academy offers four degree programmes for dance:BA in Dance,MA in Dance Performance, MA in Dance Pedagogy, andMA in Choreography.
A Doctor of Arts degree is also available for those interested. SibA’s master’s degree allows you to pursue a doctorate as a third-cycle degree, which will be offered by the Performance Arts Research Centre (Tutke) at the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Tuition for Sibelius Academy:
Vaganova Ballet Academy, Russia
Established in 1738, the Vaganova Ballet Academy has produced some of the best and most influential ballet dancers in the world, such as Anna Pavlova, Rudolf Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Known as one of the best dance schools in Russia, applicants begin their studies here as young as 10 years old.
The academy also offers anannual International Trainee Programme of ballet education for those aged 16 to 20. It’s a 10-month programme that costs around US$18,000, covering your curriculum, accommodation, meals, medical care, excursions, an intensive course in Russian language, and more.
However, enrolling and graduating from the Vaganova Academy is no easy task.
Every year, only the dancers deemed the absolute best in their class will succeed. Those who do land positions at the Mariinsky Ballet Company, while others join the likes of The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.
Tuition for Vaganova Academy:
- The 10-month International Traineeship programme is US$18,000
- Specialised teacher retraining programmes cost roughly US$2,500/month
The Juilliard School, US
The Juilliard School is undoubtedly one of the best dance schools in the US.
It offers a four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance, which fusestechnical training and choreography techniques. The programme exposes students to the various genres and aspects of dance, includingballet, hip-hop, ethics, acting, stagecraft, kinesiology and many more.
On top of that, students have the option of choosing from a list of electives such as choreography, yoga and mindfulness.
Getting accepted is tough as the programme accepts only around 18 to 26 students a year.You must have a high school diploma, a minimum of three years of training in ballet, modern or contemporary dance and be training for at least 10 hours per week to be eligible for the programme.
Tuition for The Juilliard School:
- Third-party sources confirm full-time tuition is set at US$53,300 per year, with mandatory fees of US$3,250 on top, bringing total direct academic charges to around US$56,550/year
NYU Tisch School of the Arts, US
TheTisch School of Arts‘ Bachelor of Fine Arts is an intensive three-year plus two-summer curriculum that starts with learning how to dance in “the most efficient and healthy way.”
In the second year, courses in dance history, acting, improvisation, music literature, and advanced dance composition follow.
In the third year, students will work on integrating the previous years of training into staged performance and choreography, gaining professional dance experience as ensemble members of Tisch’s Second Avenue Dance Company.
Students can also opt for an immersive and exciting three-week contemporary, improvisation, and performance intensive training during the summer in Berlin.
Tuition for NYU Tisch:
- For 2025–26, NYU undergraduate tuition is US$65,622/year across schools
Korea National University of the Arts, South Korea
The Korea National University of the Arts (K-Arts) is the first school in South Korea to classify the fields of theory, choreography and performance of dance education into different majors.
Here, the Department of Dance Performance identifies the major courses into Korean dance, ballet, contemporary dance and dance music, which are then divided into Intermediate and Advanced Technique courses to increase the level of intensity.
Undergraduate programmes here generally last four years.
International applicants can also apply for the Art Major Asian plus Scholarship (AMA+), a global initiative undertaken by K-Arts with the goal of educating students for spreading Asian arts to the world as a global educational leader by promoting artistic elites development with full scholarship grants.
Tuition for Korea National University of the Arts:
- K-Arts sets its annual tuition at 4.8 million Korean won (about US$3,500)
You can even learn a thing or two about cultural ethnic dances when you go to some of the world’s best dance schools.
Beijing Dance Academy, China
One of the best dance schools in China, the Beijing Dance Academy is the first professional dance school established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Praised as “the cradle of dance artists,” the academy consists of departments in Chinese Classical Dance, Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dance, Ballet, Ballroom Dance, Musical Theatre, the School of Creative Studies (which includes the departments of Choreography, Modern Dance, Art Design, and Image & New Media Centre), the School of Humanities (with the departments of Dance Studies, Art Communication, and Art Theory), and more.
Tuition for Beijing Dance Academy:
- Undergraduate degrees here last four years and cost around 40,000 Chinese yuan (US$5,506) per year, totalling around US$22,025 for the entire programme.
Institute of the Arts Barcelona, Spain
Located in Sitges, Spain, the Institute of the Arts Barcelona (IAB) emphasises the education of performing arts training, offering BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance and BA (Hons) Commercial Dance, each lasting three years.
Here, training focuses on individuality, which means letting you find your own voice as an artist and giving you all the skills necessary to succeed. That’s done through learning by doing and putting your skills into practice right away in front of an audience so you start gaining performance experience as soon as possible.
A true highlight of your time at IAB, however, is the international community of over 50 nationalities and the school’s commitment to fostering a multicultural environment. IAB encourages and celebrates opportunities for cultural appreciation and cultural exchange, proven through their curriculum’s range of references, which allows everyone to feel included.
Tuition for the Institute of the Arts Barcelona:
- Students from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the UK pay a yearly tuition fee of 12,00 euros (around US$14,103)
- Students outside of those areas pay 17,000 euros (around US$19,980).
Centre national de danse contemporaine (Cndc), France
The only higher education school exclusively dedicated to contemporary dance in France, the Centre national de danse contemporaine (Cndc) offers future dancers and choreographers a three-year full-time training programme.
The programme is open to those 18 and above who hold the French baccalauréat or equivalent and can prove a dance background of at least three years. Beyond that, you’ll need a mastery of French or English upon your enrollment, and you’ll need to work towards mastering the other language during your first year of study.
Here, you’ll join a tight-knit cohort of brilliant talent from around the world. For example, the class of 2021-2024 is formed by 18 students of six different nationalities, while the class of 2024-2027 is formed by 20 students of 10 different nationalities.
Tuition for the Centre national de danse contemporaine:
Graduates of top dance schools go on to become choreographers, artistic directors, educators, producers, and arts administrators worldwide. Source: Pexels
Boston Conservatory at Berklee
When you choose to study at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, you will be choosing an institution that is recognised as one of the top dance programmes in the US.
Built in 1867, it is one of the oldest performing arts universities in the US, and is still one of the most sought after to this day.
They are known for their integrated approach to performing arts education, offering rigorous training in dance, music, opera, and theatre.
This has led to a long list of accomplished and successful alumni. Many of whom have established careers in dance, theatre, and music, including Tony Award-nominated Broadway performers and composers.
Tuition for Boston Conservatory:
- 2025–2026 undergraduate cost of attendance comes to around US$84,172
School of American Ballet (SAB), US
Founded in 1934 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, theSchool of American Ballet (SAB) is the official training academy of New York City Ballet, located at Lincoln Centre in New York City.
SAB trains students aged six to 18 across Children’s, Intermediate, and Advanced Divisions. The curriculum is built on the Balanchine aesthetic — rooted in Russian classicism with an emphasis on musicality, precision, and speed — supplemented by contemporary, jazz, and partnering classes.
Admission at every level is by audition only, and theannual Summer Course serves as the primary gateway into its year-round Winter Term. Meanwhile. advanced students may be invited to live in SAB’s onsite residence hall.
Tuition for School of American Ballet:
- 2025–2026 Winter Term tuition for most first-year beginner students isUS$4,350.
- 2025 Summer Course standard tuition isUS$3,720, plus a US$130 registration fee and US$160 activity fee.
A degree or diploma from a world-class dance school enables graduates to be recruited by leading companies, film productions, music tours, and arts organisations globally. Source: Pexels
The Ailey School, US
The Ailey School in New York City is the educational home of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, training dancers across its Junior Division (ages 3–17) and Professional Division (ages 17–25) in the multidisciplinary philosophy championed by Alvin Ailey himself.
The Professional Division’s Certificate Programme runs three years of daily ballet, Horton, and Graham-based modern technique, alongside jazz, West African dance, tap, improvisation, and dance history.
The flagship Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance combines elite dance training with a full liberal arts degree at Lincoln Centre. BFA students pay tuition directly to Fordham University, with the only fee owed to The Ailey School being an annual physical therapy fee of US$270. Graduates join Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Batsheva, and leading contemporary companies globally.
Tuition for The Ailey School:
- Pre-Professional Programme (ages 7–17) tuition ranges from US$1,401 to US$6,002/year, depending on level and number of classes per week.
Paris Opera Ballet School, France
Created by a decree from Louis XIV in 1713, the Paris Opera Ballet School welcomes nearly 150 students each year through a particularly demanding and selective competition, to pass on the style and technique of the French School of Dance.
Based in Nanterre since 1987, students follow a dual daily curriculum — academic classes in the morning and ballet in the afternoon — progressing through the full French classical repertoire alongside contemporary, baroque, character dance, and mime.
The school accepts applicants from age eight, across programmes for three age groups. Teaching is free of charge; only the boarding house and canteen incur costs, as the school is state-supported under the Opéra national de Paris. Many graduates enter the Paris Opera Ballet corps directly through an annual July competition.
Tuition for Paris Opera Ballet School:
Starting professional dance training early doesn’t narrow a student’s future. Instead, it builds a foundation of physical mastery and creative confidence that serves any career path. Source: Pexels
Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), Canada
Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), based in Toronto, is an independent boarding and day school for students from Grades 6 through 12, offering an integrated programme of academic studies and dance instruction for about 150 students.
Founded in 1959 by Celia Franca and Betty Oliphant, it is closely associated with the National Ballet of Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia
NBS trains students in classical ballet alongside contemporary technique, improvisation, classical Indian dance, pas de deux, anatomy, and dance history. Senior students participate in exchange programmes with 24 international partner schools and regularly perform in National Ballet of Canada productions.
Graduates have joined the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and companies worldwide.
Tuition for Canada’s National Ballet School:
John Cranko School, Germany
Founded in 1971 and named after its visionary founder in 1974, the John Cranko School in Stuttgart is the official training institution of the Stuttgart Ballet and the only purpose-built professional ballet school in Germany.
The school trains students across two tracks: a Ballet School — running from Pre-School through Upper Level (ages 7–16) with afternoon classes so students attend state school in the mornings — and a two-year State Ballet Academy awarding a state-recognised classical dance diploma
The Academy’s full-time curriculum covers classical technique, variations, repertoire, pas de deux, character and Spanish dance, contemporary dance, improvisation, pointe work, dance history, music theory, anatomy, and make-up. Students perform extensively with the Stuttgart Ballet and the Opera of the Württemberg State Theatre.
Tuition for John Cranko School:
- Education at the State Ballet Academy is free of charge; students pay only for board and lodging.
The 2026 Summer School costs €650 for six days of classes, excluding accommodation; full year-round fee schedules are available via the school’s price list.
At a glance: Tuition at the 16 best dance schools in the world
| University | Approx. Annual Tuition (USD) |
| Royal Ballet School, London | ~$45,000–$62,000 |
| HKAPA, Hong Kong | ~$6,000–$14,000 |
| Royal Conservatoire of Scotland | ~$2,500–$38,000 |
| Sibelius Academy, Finland | ~$33,000 |
| Vaganova Ballet Academy, Russia | ~$17,500 |
| Juilliard, US | ~$56,550 |
| NYU Tisch, US | ~$65,600 |
| K-Arts, South Korea | ~$3,500 |
| Beijing Dance Academy, China | ~$5,900 |
| IAB Barcelona, Spain | ~$14,000–$20,000 |
| Boston Conservatory at Berklee, US | ~$55,100 |
| School of American Ballet (US) | $4,350 (Winter Term) |
| The Ailey School (US) | $1,400–$6,000 |
| Paris Opera Ballet School (France) | Free (boarding and meal costs apply) |
| Canada’s National Ballet School (Canada) | Fees vary (contact school for current rates) |
| John Cranko School (Germany) | Free (board and lodging not included) |
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. Which dance school in the world is the hardest to get into?
The Paris Opera Ballet School is widely considered the hardest. Founded in 1713, it accepts roughly 150 students per year from among thousands of global applicants, with selection criteria that cover not just technique but also physical proportions and musical aptitude. The Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg runs a close second, admitting students as young as 10 through an equally brutal selection process.
2. Can I get a scholarship to attend a top dance school if I can’t afford the tuition?
Yes. Most top schools have substantial financial aid programmes. Canada’s National Ballet School awards CA$3–4 million annually and can cover up to 100% of fees. The Prix de Lausanne competition offers winners a full year’s tuition at partner schools, including the Royal Ballet School and John Cranko School. SAB, Juilliard, and the Ailey School all offer need- and merit-based aid.
3. At what age should a dancer start training at a professional school?
Most elite schools begin accepting students between ages eight and 11 — the Paris Opera Ballet School from age nine, the Vaganova Academy from age 10, and the John Cranko School from age seven. For ballet specifically, starting serious pre-professional training by ages 10–12 is generally considered optimal for developing the necessary physical foundations before growth plates close.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on June 19, 2026.
