Ramirez' enduring contributions to the field of dance earned her the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest cultural honor, in 2005. Juilliard awarded her an honorary degree, Doctor of Fine Arts, in 2018.[11] She received the Honor Award from Dance/USA in 2009 and the Award of Merit from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters in 2007. In 2004, AARP Magazine cited Ramirez as "a cultural trailblazer" and chose her as one of its ten "People of the Year."