Theater Arts · California Institute of the Arts
How much do California Institute of the Arts Theater Arts graduates earn?
California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theatre earned a median $41,192 four years after graduating, 4% above the $39,775 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $22,673; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $27,000 in federal loans at this college (about $286 a month on a 10-year plan).
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $41,192
- National median, same program:
- $39,775
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $27,000
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $286
California Institute of the Arts, bachelor's in Theater Arts. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Theater Arts graduates of California Institute of the Arts earn?
- California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theater Arts earned a median $41,192 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Theater Arts graduates of California Institute of the Arts have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $27,000 in federal loans at California Institute of the Arts (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
- How does California Institute of the Arts compare with the national median for Theater Arts?
- $41,192 is 4% above the $39,775 national median for bachelor's programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does California Institute of the Arts compare with other California Theater Arts programs?
- It is about the same as the $41,291 earned by graduates of the typical California bachelor's program in the field (16 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Theater Arts degree from California Institute of the Arts worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theater Arts earned a median $41,192 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $27,000 in federal loans there, about $286 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 8% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Theater Arts at California Institute of the Arts, by credential
2 credential levels have federal figures, largest graduating classes first. Federal program group: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (CIP 50.05), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 67 | $22,673 | $41,192 | +4% | $27,000 | $27,000 | $286/mo |
| Master's | 40 | $35,156 | $57,920 | +16% | $109,180 | — | $1,242/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theater Arts earned a median $41,192 four years after graduating, against a national median of $39,775 for the same program and credential.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (56 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/california-institute-of-the-arts/programs/theater-arts
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). California Institute of the Arts Theater Arts: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/california-institute-of-the-arts/programs/theater-arts
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does California Institute of the Arts compare with other California Theater Arts programs?
Across the 16 California bachelor's programs in Theater Arts with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $41,291; California Institute of the Arts's $41,192 is about the same as that.
| College (bachelor's) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapman University | $51,611 | $24,644 | $22,500 |
| Loyola Marymount University | $49,135 | $21,869 | $20,000 |
| San Francisco State University | $44,848 | $23,004 | $17,940 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $44,106 | $20,503 | $16,667 |
| California State University-Northridge | $43,240 | $17,524 | $15,201 |
| California State University-Fullerton | $42,455 | $18,182 | $15,000 |
| San Diego State University | $41,812 | $20,538 | $15,000 |
| University of California-San Diego | $41,389 | $18,026 | $14,458 |
| California Institute of the Arts (this college) | $41,192 | $22,673 | $27,000 |
| University of California-Irvine | $40,773 | $20,461 | $16,201 |
The 10 highest of 16 California programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
What the new federal loan limits mean for this graduate program
For loans first disbursed on or after 1 July 2026, new graduate borrowers can take at most $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in federal loans, or $50,000 and $200,000 in programs the Department treats as professional (Federal Student Aid, May 2026). California Institute of the Arts's master's graduates in Theater Arts borrowed a median $109,180 under the old rules. Which graduate programs' typical debt is over the new caps.
Questions about Theater Arts at California Institute of the Arts
- How much do California Institute of the Arts Theater Arts graduates earn?
- California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theatre earned a median $41,192 four years after graduating, 4% above the $39,775 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $22,673; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $27,000 in federal loans at this college (about $286 a month on a 10-year plan).
- How much student debt do California Institute of the Arts Theater Arts graduates have?
- California Institute of the Arts's bachelor's graduates in Theater Arts who borrowed took out a median $27,000 in federal loans at California Institute of the Arts, about $286 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does California Institute of the Arts's Theater Arts program compare with others in California?
- Across the 16 California bachelor's programs in Theater Arts with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $41,291; California Institute of the Arts's $41,192 is about the same as that.
- Which Theater Arts degree at California Institute of the Arts pays more?
- Median earnings four years after graduating, by credential: bachelor's $41,192; master's $57,920 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). Each figure describes a different group of graduates, so the gap reflects who enrolls and the jobs each credential leads to, not only the credential.
Keep going
- California Institute of the Arts: cost, admissions and every program
- Theater Arts major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Theater Arts pay at other colleges?
Jobs Theater Arts graduates often go into
From the Theater Artsmajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at California Institute of the Arts with graduate earnings
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to California Institute of the Arts by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). California Institute of the Arts Theater Arts: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/california-institute-of-the-arts/programs/theater-arts