Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Montclair State University

Theatre programs rarely promise immediate financial returns, but Montclair State's outcomes sit squarely at the median for New Jersey—which itself lags the national picture. First-year earnings of $18,474 match the state median exactly, yet fall well below the $20,698 national median for theatre programs. The 60th percentile state ranking sounds respectable until you realize New Jersey's theatre programs collectively underperform: every Rutgers campus produces graduates earning $24,770, a third more than Montclair's students. The debt load of $25,022, meanwhile, equals 1.35 times that first year's income.

The modest 12% earnings growth to year four at least moves in the right direction, though $20,693 still leaves graduates well below what they'd need to comfortably service their loans on a standard repayment plan. For a family considering this path, the honest calculation is whether your student has the drive and connections to beat these medians—because the typical outcome here means years of financial constraint while building a career in theatre.

If your child is set on theatre in New Jersey, Rutgers offers meaningfully better earning potential with similar debt. Montclair works as an affordable entry point to the field only if family resources can cover costs beyond loans, or if your student plans to treat this as a stepping stone to graduate training or a pivot into adjacent fields.