MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a master's degree in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 42 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$52,713 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.
$52,713Median year-4 earnings
$24,117Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$52,713Typical earnings four years after completion
$41,798Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
5thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
2Degrees awarded in 2024–25
42College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 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 master's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $52,713 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $48,041 to $57,723 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$48,041National median$52,71375th percentile$57,723
42 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.
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.
$64,923Observed year-4 earnings$49,306
University of Idaho$14,831 price · $70,605 earningsSan Diego State University$15,364 price · $67,588 earningsCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 price · $64,923 earningsEast Texas A&M University$11,841 price · $62,924 earningsUniversity of Houston$14,276 price · $62,281 earningsUniversity of California, Los Angeles$12,548 price · $59,013 earningsRegent University$19,923 price · $58,972 earningsFlorida State University$11,297 price · $58,724 earningsNew York University$37,050 price · $58,054 earningsCalifornia Institute of the Arts$46,080 price · $57,920 earningsColumbia University in the City of New York$21,590 price · $57,723 earningsThe University of Alabama$22,420 price · $57,026 earningsUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts$14,906 price · $56,064 earningsUniversity of Northern Colorado$17,760 price · $54,468 earningsEmerson College$49,180 price · $53,881 earningsUniversity of Southern California$32,740 price · $53,569 earningsUniversity of Nevada-Las Vegas$10,359 price · $53,150 earningsOhio University-Main Campus$21,637 price · $53,128 earningsLoyola Marymount University$48,381 price · $52,957 earningsCarnegie Mellon University$31,944 price · $52,930 earningsUniversity of Washington-Seattle Campus$14,091 price · $52,495 earningsUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$14,355 price · $52,436 earningsDePaul University$30,902 price · $51,971 earningsThe New School$58,741 price · $51,836 earningsHollins University$20,896 price · $50,189 earningsThe University of Texas at Austin$19,857 price · $49,771 earningsWayne State University$12,766 price · $49,640 earningsUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City$13,310 price · $49,306 earningsVillanova University$43,756 price · $49,302 earnings
$10,359Annual college-wide average net price$48,381
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.
1CUNY Graduate School and University Center$77,5162University of Idaho$70,6053San Diego State University$67,5884CUNY Brooklyn College$64,9235East Texas A&M University$62,9246University of Houston$62,2817University of California, Los Angeles$59,0138Regent University$58,9729Florida State University$58,72410New York University$58,054Observed 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.
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.