SRU's dance program earns a top 15 national ranking

Oct. 20, 2017

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's dance program has been ranked among the top 20 College and University dance programs in the nation by Dance-College.com. SRU came in at No. 15 nationally, No. 7 regionally and at No. 2 in Pennsylvania.

A total of 305 public and private schools offering dance programs were surveyed. The rankings are based on data collected by U.S. Department of Education in 2016-2017. Rankings, Dance-College.com said, are based on a number of academic, financial and organizational factors including faculty profiles, student retention rates and alumni job prospects. Scores are normalized to reflect differences between schools including student body enrollment, past ranking history and the college's current trend.

"This is incredibly positive and rousing news for the Dance Department, the College of Liberal Arts and the University," said Philip Way, SRU interim president. "These rankings confirm the incredibly hard work and dedication that our dance faculty are providing for our students, day in and day out. In addition, the ranking reflects the opportunities our program provides and the talents of our student dancers and alumni."

New York University was ranked No. 1, with the University of California Irvine, Ohio State University, California State University Long Beach and Texas Woman's University rounding out the top five. No other institutions from Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education were included.

"It is great for our department to be nationally recognized because it is a testament to the strength of the curriculum, talent of the students and commitment of our incredible faculty and staff to provide exceptional experiences that contribute to a stimulating learning environment," said Ursula Payne, professor of dance and department chair.

"We help students succeed in pursuing dance as a career choice and the reputation of our program has propelled students into building meaningful, multifaceted careers as dance artists, professors, business owners, administrators, educators, writers, social media consultants and physicians."

A complete listing of the rankings is available at: https://dance-colleges.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robb.king@sru.edu