UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 9 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$31,229 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$31,229Median year-4 earnings
$34,896Average institution net-price context
$17,170Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$31,229Typical earnings four years after completion
$20,612Average earnings five years after completion
$17,170Typical federal student debt
10thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
580Degrees awarded in 2024–25
8College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 5 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
How much do Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $31,229 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $17,170. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $28,809 to $32,842 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $31,229
- Federal debt
- $17,170
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $30,146
- Federal debt
- $12,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $40,073
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 282
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $52,713
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 42
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$28,809National median$31,22975th percentile$32,842
8 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Portland Actors Conservatory
$35,889 four years after completionPortland, OR · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtNew York Film Academy
$9,500 among completer borrowersBurbank, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classAmerican Musical and Dramatic Academy
257 reported awards in 2024–25New York, NY · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$31,701Observed year-4 earnings$26,274
Circle in the Square Theatre School$28,089 price · $32,905 earningsAmerican Musical and Dramatic Academy$41,416 price · $31,701 earningsAmerican Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York$55,553 price · $30,757 earningsNew York Film Academy$39,011 price · $28,809 earningsChattanooga State Community College$5,283 price · $26,274 earnings
$5,283Annual college-wide average net price$41,416
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
8 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 8 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Portland Actors Conservatory$35,8892Circle in the Square Theatre School$32,9053National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts$32,8424American Musical and Dramatic Academy$31,7015American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York$30,7576New York Film Academy$28,8097Chattanooga State Community College$26,2748Neighborhood Playhouse School of the TheaterNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$78,620 median wage93,560 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 8,000 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$47,570–$163,350 typical wage rangeActors55,000 jobs nationwide+0.0% projected growth through 2035 · 6,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Some college, no degreeProducers and Directors$90,360 median wage143,120 jobs nationwide+4.0% projected growth through 2035 · 12,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$45,780–$198,540 typical wage rangeEntertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other16,550 jobs nationwide+4.7% projected growth through 2035 · 4,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credentialWriters and Authors$76,910 median wage47,940 jobs nationwide-0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 11,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$44,310–$139,870 typical wage rangeChoreographers$55,310 median wage2,860 jobs nationwide+3.1% projected growth through 2035 · 600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$34,090–$138,630 typical wage rangeDancers8,130 jobs nationwide+2.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credentialFashion Designers$80,960 median wage21,450 jobs nationwide+0.1% projected growth through 2035 · 2,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,490–$146,870 typical wage rangeSet and Exhibit Designers$75,240 median wage10,630 jobs nationwide+1.4% projected growth through 2035 · 2,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$41,750–$135,410 typical wage rangeMusic Directors and Composers$73,710 median wage12,540 jobs nationwide+1.2% projected growth through 2035 · 4,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$39,880–$165,760 typical wage rangeCostume Attendants$50,400 median wage6,510 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$32,150–$109,520 typical wage rangeMusicians and Singers36,180 jobs nationwide+0.3% projected growth through 2035 · 17,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: No formal educational credential
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.