Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at The University of Tampa

The $17,196 first-year salary from University of Tampa's theatre program lands in the 17th percentile nationally, making it one of the lowest-earning theatre programs in the country. Even within Florida, where this program sits at the 40th percentile, stronger alternatives exist at public universities like USF ($24,732) and UCF ($23,708)—schools that deliver 40-45% higher earnings. The $26,000 median debt, while close to national norms, creates a concerning debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.51 when paired with such low starting salaries.

Theatre programs rarely promise lucrative early careers, but this combination of below-average earnings and above-median debt (compared to Florida programs) is particularly challenging. At a private university charging premium tuition, you'd expect outcomes closer to Tampa's private peer Rollins College ($23,664), not numbers that trail state public options by thousands of dollars.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 graduates reported, a few outliers could skew the picture significantly. However, even accounting for statistical noise, the gap between this program and Florida's stronger options is too wide to ignore. If your child is committed to theatre at a Florida private school, Rollins offers notably better outcomes. Otherwise, Florida's public universities provide both superior earning trajectories and likely lower sticker prices.