Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Portland State University

Portland State's theater program carries higher debt than you'd typically see—$39,773 compared to Oregon's median of $30,762—but the earnings trajectory tells an unusually positive story for this field. First-year graduates earn $25,352, already above the national median for theater programs. By year four, that jumps nearly 50% to $37,709, outpacing 86% of theater programs nationwide. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly year to year.

The real question is whether your family can manage that debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.57 while your child builds their career. Theater graduates typically face lean early years, and Portland State's numbers reflect that reality in year one. But the strong four-year earnings suggest this program's graduates are finding steady work in Portland's creative economy—whether in theater, arts administration, or adjacent fields. The 40% Pell Grant rate indicates the school serves many students without family financial cushion, making that $40k debt load particularly significant.

If your child is passionate about theater and willing to hustle through lean early years, these outcomes are actually encouraging for the field. But only if you can avoid adding private loans on top of that federal debt. The earnings growth is real, but it takes time to materialize, and there's no guarantee the small sample pattern holds.