Free tool · federal data

What does this major pay at different colleges?

Pick a major, a degree level and a state. You get what graduates of each college's program earned four years after graduating and what they borrowed in federal loans, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, with the national median for the same program as the yardstick.

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Theater Arts, bachelor's programs nationwide

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Theater Arts earn a median $39,775 four years after graduating. Among 121 programs with federal earnings data, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (OH) graduates had the highest median, $54,000 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

Programs with data
121
Highest median
$54,000
National median
$39,775
The link opens this exact comparison.
Theater Arts, bachelor's programs nationwide: median earnings four years after graduating and median federal debt, in order of earnings.
CollegeStateMedian earnings, 4 yrs aftervs national medianDebt borrowed at this college (median)Add to the side-by-side comparison
University of Cincinnati-Main CampusFigure covers 3 campusesOH$54,000+36%$25,706Compare
Chapman UniversityCA$51,611+30%$22,500Compare
Western Connecticut State UniversityCT$50,955+28%$25,000Compare
University of UtahUT$49,802+25%$19,566Compare
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignIL$49,323+24%$20,500Compare
Northwestern UniversityIL$49,316+24%$17,000Compare
Loyola Marymount UniversityCA$49,135+24%$20,000Compare
The University of Texas at AustinTX$48,781+23%$25,711Compare
University of North Carolina School of the ArtsNC$48,664+22%$23,500Compare
Texas State UniversityTX$48,502+22%$19,500Compare
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusFigure covers 2 campusesOK$47,587+20%$20,044Compare
Ithaca CollegeNY$46,563+17%$26,000Compare
University of Northern ColoradoCO$46,089+16%$24,000Compare
University of Michigan-Ann ArborMI$45,888+15%$20,379Compare
University of South FloridaFL$45,671+15%$22,342Compare
George Mason UniversityVA$45,656+15%$27,000Compare
James Madison UniversityVA$45,225+14%$19,000Compare
Appalachian State UniversityNC$44,986+13%$23,750Compare
Full Sail UniversityFL$44,878+13%$20,500Compare
San Francisco State UniversityCA$44,848+13%$17,940Compare
University of Nebraska-LincolnFigure covers 2 campusesNE$44,825+13%$22,500Compare
Emerson CollegeMA$44,760+13%$25,000Compare
Western Michigan UniversityMI$44,694+12%$26,731Compare
University of ArizonaAZ$44,471+12%$23,665Compare
Hofstra UniversityNY$44,388+12%$26,000Compare

The 25 highest of 121 programs. Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality.

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Same major, other degree levels: Associate's · Undergraduate certificate · Master's

The Theater Arts major guideHow much the college matters, by major

What these numbers are

Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed, and a multi-state system whose figure pools campuses in several states is left out of state lists. 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. Federal program group: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates work as well as the program itself.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV).