BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 282 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$310,142 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−119%Estimated return after 10 years
$40,073Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$229,270
$8,000Annual price−$261,270
$16,000Annual price−$293,270
$20,000Current college-wide context−$309,270
$24,000Annual price−$325,270
$32,000Annual price−$357,270
$40,000Annual price−$389,270
Outcomes at a glance
$40,073Typical earnings four years after completion
$34,453Average earnings five years after completion
$25,000Typical federal student debt
3thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
11Degrees awarded in 2024–25
259College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 14 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 bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $40,073 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,000. 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 $36,251 to $43,916 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$36,251National median$40,07375th percentile$43,916
259 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
University of Notre Dame
$64,880 four years after completionNotre Dame, IN · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of California, Davis
$13,000 among completer borrowersDavis, CA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classLoyola Marymount University
121 reported awards in 2024–25Los Angeles, CA · 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.
$56,823Observed year-4 earnings$47,175
University of Notre Dame$26,780 price · $64,880 earningsBrandeis University$35,736 price · $58,676 earningsUniversity of California, Davis$14,741 price · $56,823 earningsUniversity of California, Berkeley$13,481 price · $55,555 earningsDrake University$29,127 price · $54,950 earningsMiami University-Oxford$28,384 price · $54,215 earningsUniversity of Cincinnati-Main Campus$25,648 price · $54,000 earningsFlorida Southern College$28,551 price · $51,925 earningsUniversity of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$18,202 price · $51,775 earningsUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$30,434 price · $51,775 earningsChapman University$46,555 price · $51,611 earningsWestern Connecticut State University$17,604 price · $50,955 earningsPepperdine University$58,098 price · $50,594 earningsRhode Island College$9,478 price · $50,335 earningsUniversity of Utah$16,200 price · $49,802 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $49,323 earningsNorthwestern University$29,167 price · $49,316 earningsLoyola Marymount University$48,381 price · $49,135 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $48,781 earningsUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts$14,906 price · $48,664 earningsManhattanville University$20,991 price · $48,629 earningsTexas State University$16,805 price · $48,502 earningsUniversity of Central Missouri$14,462 price · $48,179 earningsSaint Edward's University$25,578 price · $47,974 earningsBinghamton University$21,620 price · $47,945 earningsUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$11,900 price · $47,878 earningsCalifornia State University, Sacramento$9,338 price · $47,676 earningsUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$15,300 price · $47,587 earningsWest Texas A&M University$19,487 price · $47,175 earningsUniversity of Puget Sound$38,394 price · $46,791 earnings
$9,478Annual college-wide average net price$46,555
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Notre Dame$64,8802Brandeis University$58,6763University of California, Davis$56,8234University of California, Berkeley$55,5555Drake University$54,9506Miami University-Oxford$54,2157University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$54,0008Florida Southern College$51,9259University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$51,77510University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$51,775Observed 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.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
NY29 programs$40,043 average earningsCA25 programs$42,161 average earningsOH19 programs$40,017 average earningsTX16 programs$41,741 average earningsIL14 programs$40,897 average earningsPA13 programs$41,474 average earningsFL11 programs$38,700 average earningsNJ10 programs$38,871 average earningsNC8 programs$40,964 average earningsMI7 programs$40,844 average earningsGA7 programs$37,212 average earningsVA6 programs$43,426 average earnings
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.