Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at The University of Texas at Arlington

UTA's theatre program commands the 95th percentile nationally for earnings—placing it among the elite drama programs in the country—yet sits at just the 60th percentile within Texas. That disconnect tells you something important: while this program dramatically outperforms the typical theatre degree (which pays around $20,700 nationally), Texas has unusually strong theatre programs overall, with UTA trailing UT Austin by nearly $7,000 and even regional competitors like Stephen F Austin.

The debt picture looks manageable at first glance—$27,000 translates to roughly a 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio, better than most arts programs. But that's because theatre degrees typically carry light debt loads (national median is $25,000), not because UTA's graduates earn substantially more than they borrowed. By year four, earnings reach just under $30,000, which represents decent growth but still leaves graduates earning less than the state median for the field.

For Texas families, this creates a clear calculation: your student gets a nationally competitive theatre education at an accessible public university price, but they'll likely earn $3,000-7,000 less annually than peers at UT Austin or even Stephen F Austin. If staying in the Dallas-Fort Worth market matters for networking and job access, that regional advantage might offset the earnings gap. Otherwise, you're paying similar debt for noticeably lower returns than other in-state options.