Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

A $17,000 starting salary against $26,000 in debt tells a difficult story, though the small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. What's particularly concerning is that even within Pennsylvania's theater programs, where earnings are already modest statewide, this falls below the state median of $19,764. The gap widens dramatically when you look at what's possible—Slippery Rock and Carnegie Mellon theater graduates earn nearly double what East Stroudsburg's do in their first year.

The debt burden isn't exceptionally high for theater programs, sitting near national norms, but paired with these earnings it creates real challenges. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.52 means graduates owe roughly 18 months of their first-year salary—manageable for engineering majors, but problematic when monthly loan payments compete with basic living expenses on less than $1,500 per month. Pennsylvania's theater market clearly supports higher entry-level earnings at other schools, suggesting this particular program may not provide the same industry connections or technical training that lead to better-paying early opportunities.

For families willing to invest in a theater degree, this program's outcomes suggest looking elsewhere in Pennsylvania first. With 46 programs statewide and several delivering significantly stronger earnings, the combination of below-average results and limited sample reliability makes this a risky choice unless your student has specific reasons to attend East Stroudsburg.