by our College Data Analytics Team
[Drama And Theater Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where drama and theater arts graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The drama and theater arts program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we built our Highest Paid Drama And Theater Arts Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose drama and theater arts degrees pay off the most.
Learn more about our methodology
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Drama And Theater Arts Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
Below are the schools whose drama and theater arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts earned the #1 spot for highest-paid drama and theater arts graduates in the United States. Located in the city of Dallas, Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts earn a median of about $22,055 a year early in their careers.
Sonoma State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in drama and theater arts, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Rohnert Park, Sonoma State University is a public institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Sonoma State University earn a median of about $55,622 a year early in their careers.
St Olaf College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Set in the town of Northfield, St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of St Olaf College earn a median of about $51,796 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Kean University earned it the #4 place for drama and theater arts. Kean University is a public school located in the suburb of Union. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Kean University typically earn about $50,604 annually.
Brandeis University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in drama and theater arts, landing the #5 spot this year. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waltham. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Brandeis University make a median of around $49,873 per year.
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University Of Notre Dame earned the #6 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. University Of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,555.
Georgia College And State University earned the #7 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Georgia College And State University is a public school located in the town of Milledgeville. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Georgia College And State University make a median of around $46,556 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Madison placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of Madison, University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,074.
Keene State College came in at #9 for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Keene, Keene State College is a public institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Keene State College typically earn about $44,848 annually.
Santa Clara University placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Set in the city of Santa Clara, Santa Clara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $43,499.
University Of Wisconsin La Crosse placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of La Crosse, University Of Wisconsin La Crosse is a public institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,963.
Stony Brook University came in at #12 for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Stony Brook, Stony Brook University is a public institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Stony Brook University typically earn about $42,521 annually.
Metropolitan State University landed the #13 spot for drama and theater arts salaries this year. Set in the city of Saint Paul, Metropolitan State University is a public institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,432.
Pepperdine University ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Set in the suburb of Malibu, Pepperdine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Pepperdine University make a median of around $41,597 per year.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of Amherst, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from University Of Massachusetts Amherst make a median of around $41,063 per year.
University Of Kansas ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Set in the city of Lawrence, University Of Kansas is a public institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from University Of Kansas typically earn about $40,270 annually.
Saint Marys College Of California earned the #17 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Saint Marys College Of California is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Moraga. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Saint Marys College Of California earn a median of about $38,160 a year early in their careers.
Manhattanville College earned the #18 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Purchase, Manhattanville College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $37,988.
Eastern Michigan University earned the #19 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University typically earn about $37,917 annually.
Berea College placed #20 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Berea College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Berea. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Berea College typically earn about $37,255 annually.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,675.
Southern Utah University came in at #22 for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Cedar City, Southern Utah University is a public institution. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Southern Utah University make a median of around $48,419 per year.
Stephen F Austin State University landed the #23 spot for drama and theater arts salaries this year. Stephen F Austin State University is a public school located in the town of Nacogdoches. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Stephen F Austin State University make a median of around $43,334 per year.
North Dakota State University Main Campus landed the #24 spot for drama and theater arts salaries this year. North Dakota State University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Fargo. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from North Dakota State University Main Campus make a median of around $34,512 per year.
Saint Marys University Of Minnesota landed the #25 spot for drama and theater arts salaries this year. Set in the town of Winona, Saint Marys University Of Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from Saint Marys University Of Minnesota make a median of around $34,228 per year.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid drama and theater arts ranking:
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Also worth considering for earnings in drama and theater arts:
| Rank | College | Location | Avg Salary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $47,619 | Full Report |
| #52 | The University Of Montana | Missoula, MT | $30,513 | Full Report |
| #53 | University Of Iowa | Iowa City, IA | $42,847 | Full Report |
| #54 | University At Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | $37,364 | Full Report |
| #55 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL | $35,096 | Full Report |
| #56 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | $26,137 | Full Report |
| #57 | University Of Minnesota Duluth | Duluth, MN | $35,394 | Full Report |
| #58 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX | $42,548 | Full Report |
| #59 | University Of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, IA | $41,807 | Full Report |
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries drama and theater arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
