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

The most troubling aspect of this program isn't the notoriously low pay typical of theatre work—it's that first-year earnings of $15,602 rank in just the 5th percentile nationally for drama programs. Among Ohio's 44 theatre programs, it still only reaches the 25th percentile. While dramatic earnings growth to $30,585 by year four sounds impressive in percentage terms, that's the trajectory you'd hope to see from any entry-level position, and the final number remains below what comparable Ohio programs achieve right out of the gate.

The $22,750 debt load is actually slightly better than both state and national medians for this degree, which provides some relief. But the 1.46 debt-to-earnings ratio in year one means your child would owe nearly 1.5 times their annual salary—a heavy burden when making barely above poverty wages. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty; these numbers could swing significantly with just a few data points.

If your child is committed to theatre, Cincinnati and Youngstown State both show median earnings above $24,000, nearly 60% higher than what this program delivers four years out. For a regional campus program, this raises questions about whether the pathway to sustainable arts careers is adequately developed here. The debt is manageable, but only if those initial lean years don't derail your child financially.