Accreditation for the B.A. in Dance
The Bachelor of Arts in Dance is offered by the Department of Theater and Dance in the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design and is covered by High Point University’s institutional accreditation from SACSCOC.
Auditions are not required for admission. Applicants who submit a dance recording or schedule a short audition during a campus visit qualify for departmental scholarships.
University Accreditation
High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and has been continuously accredited since 1951. SACSCOC has granted HPU Level V status, which authorizes a university to award doctoral degrees.
That accreditation covers every degree the university grants, including the Bachelor of Arts in Dance and the dance minor.
Where HPU Dancers Perform and Present
Students present their work and research at national collegiate dance and undergraduate research conferences, including the American College Dance Association and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.
Dancers are regularly selected to perform new faculty work at DUMBO in Brooklyn, the Greensboro Fringe Festival and the NC Dance Festival.
National Honor Society for Dance Arts
HPU has a chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, administered by the National Dance Education Organization. Dance students who meet its standards are inducted.
Creative Arts Fellows
Dance majors can apply for the Creative Arts Fellows Program, a $3,000 scholarship renewable each year. Fellows work as a cohort over four years.
A Nationally Ranked Department
The Department of Theater and Dance, home of the dance program, was named one of the Top 20 Best College Theater Programs for 2026 by The Princeton Review.
Recognition for Undergraduate Research
The Council on Undergraduate Research named High Point University the recipient of its 2025 Campus-Wide Award for Undergraduate Research Accomplishments.
U.S. News & World Report Rankings
In U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 edition, High Point University was named the #1 Most Innovative Regional University in the South and ranked #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching. The same edition ranked HPU #1 of 152 schools in the category for Earnings by Major and #5 overall. It also placed #3 for Top Private Schools in the category, and HPU ranks #17 nationally for Best First-Year Experiences.
What Dance Students Say About the Program
Dance at HPU is part of the David R. Hayworth School of Arts and Design, and High Point University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Students in Dance and related majors such as Theater and Music describe what that preparation means for their careers.
Kendall McDowell
Psychology and Dance major · Miss HPU
“I’ve loved this university since the first time I stepped on campus, and there were a lot of people I wanted to make proud for giving me the opportunity to experience this place.”
Catherine Gallagher
Psychology and Dance major · Research Coordinator, McLean Hospital
“The academic opportunities and engaged faculty at HPU helped me to discover a love for research and psychology.”
Caitlin Black
Computer Science and Dance major · Project Management Office Intern, Old Dominion Freight Line
“HPU has not only offered the intelligence found in a textbook but also the complementing intelligence and skills found within in day-to-day actions and real life that have allowed me to feel further prepared to achieve my goals.”
Explore Dance at High Point University
Dance at High Point University puts students on stages from the NC Dance Festival to DUMBO.
Curriculum & Research Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Lindsey Howie, director of the dance program, at [email protected].