Best Schools for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft graduates earn a median of $40,148 within four years of graduating, ranking #279 out of 283 tracked majors — 36% below the median across all fields. There are 339 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 10,960 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: University of Notre Dame graduates earn $64,880 while Florida Atlantic University graduates earn $20,673 — a $44,207 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is moderate: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft graduates see an average 6% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Private schools produce $689 more in early earnings on average for Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft by State
Also by state: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, Wisconsin
Top Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Schools by Graduate Earnings
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA · Private
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
Drake University
Des Moines, IA · Private
Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH · Public
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH · Public
Florida Southern College
Lakeland, FL · Private
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Johnstown, PA · Public
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Public
Chapman University
Orange, CA · Private
Western Connecticut State University
Danbury, CT · Public
Pepperdine University
Malibu, CA · Private
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI · Public
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · Public
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA · Private
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, NC · Public
Manhattanville University
Purchase, NY · Private
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Public
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO · Public
Saint Edward's University
Austin, TX · Private
Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · Public
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, CO · Public
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
West Texas A & M University
Canyon, TX · Public
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, WA · Private
Radford University
Radford, VA · Public
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY · Private
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO · Public
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
University of Evansville
Evansville, IN · Private
Baylor University
Waco, TX · Private
Portland State University
Portland, OR · Public
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY · Public
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · Public
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH · Public
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Lincoln, NE · Private
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA · Public
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN · Private
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC · Public
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC · Public
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
Reading, PA · Public
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · Public
Showing top 50 of 339 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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