Scoring Hub

UDA + NDA College

College dance scoring

College dance team scoring runs on essentially the same UDA/NDA rubric framework as high school, but with college-specific division splits and elevated expectations. UDA College Nationals (Orlando, January) and NDA College Nationals (Daytona Beach, April) are the two marquee championships, and many programs compete at both.

Governing Brands

UDA & NDA (Varsity Spirit)

UDA Nationals

Orlando — January

NDA Nationals

Daytona Beach — April

Scoring

Two-scoresheet rubric (Execution + Choreography)

How college dance is scored

UDA and NDA use the same two-scoresheet structure that anchors their high school events: one sheet for Execution (how cleanly and confidently the routine is performed) and one for Choreography (how it is built and staged). Judges score each sheet, and the marks are averaged into a team total. At the college level the rubric is unchanged in shape — what rises is the difficulty expectation and the depth of the field.

Same framework as high school

The category-by-category breakdown of each scoresheet is identical to the school-level rubric. See our school dance scoring page for the full Execution and Choreography line items.

UDA college division structure

  • D1A — the largest NCAA Division I universities
  • D1 — smaller NCAA Division I programs
  • Open — NCAA Division II and III, NAIA, JUCO and two-year schools

College categories

  • Jazz
  • Pom
  • Hip Hop
  • Game Day Dance
  • Spirit Program Game Day (cheer + dance)
  • Game Day LIVE (dance + band)

What "Game Day" rewards

Game Day categories are scored on how effectively a routine would lead a crowd in an actual athletic-event setting — band integration, crowd engagement and visual impact — rather than on a competition-style technical showcase alone. It is a distinct skill set from the Jazz/Pom/Hip Hop competition routines.

NDA College

NDA College Nationals is a separate event held in Daytona Beach each April, with a similar division structure (D1A, D1, Open) and the same two-scoresheet rubric philosophy. Many teams compete at both UDA and NDA Nationals in the same season — they are run by sibling brands under Varsity Spirit, not a single combined championship.

College recruiting & scholarships

For studio and high school dancers, college dance is also a recruiting destination: collegiate programs scout at conventions and competitions, and a strong individual profile can lead to a roster spot or scholarship. We cover that pathway in the college recruiting guide and in recruiting bids.

A note on STUNT

STUNT is a cheer-derived team sport, not a dance discipline, but it sometimes draws dance-adjacent athletes at the college level. It was approved as an NCAA Championship sport, with the first championship slated for Spring 2027. Full STUNT coverage lives on the Cheer Collective scoring pages.

Where to find the official documents

UDA College: varsity.com/uda/school/competitions/college-nationals/. NDA: varsity.com/nda. Dance Collective links only — always defer to the official documents for current divisions, categories and scoring.

Related reading: School dance scoring · Scoring glossary · Dance rankings.

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