Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Ohio University-Main Campus

Ohio University's theatre program posts troubling first-year earnings of just $15,602—landing in the bottom 5% nationally and well below even Ohio's modest $18,916 median. While the program costs less in debt than most Ohio theatre programs ($22,750 versus $25,250 statewide), that advantage disappears when you realize graduates earn $3,300 less than the typical Ohio theatre graduate and $9,500 less than peers at Cincinnati or Kent State. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.46 means your child would owe nearly a year and a half of their entire salary—making even these relatively modest loans feel crushing.

The 96% earnings jump by year four suggests some graduates eventually find their footing, reaching $30,585. But that's still below what other Ohio programs deliver in year one, and theatre careers are notoriously unstable—this growth pattern could easily reflect graduates cobbling together multiple survival jobs rather than building sustainable careers.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) makes these numbers less reliable, but they align with a clear pattern: this program underperforms its Ohio peers significantly. If your child is set on theatre in Ohio, programs at Cincinnati, Kent State, or Youngstown deliver substantially better early outcomes. Unless there's a compelling artistic or mentorship reason to choose Ohio University specifically, this program struggles to justify even its below-average debt load.