Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Utah State University

Utah State's theater program sits near the middle of Utah's offerings—60th percentile statewide—but punches above its weight nationally, landing in the 71st percentile among 891 programs. The $23,341 starting salary beats the national median by 13%, though it trails Southern Utah's $27,335. More notable is the debt picture: at $15,601, graduates here carry 38% less than the national median and even less than Utah's state median. That 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio means manageable payments, especially for a field notorious for financial struggle.

The growth trajectory shows modest improvement—earnings tick up 9% to $25,367 by year four—suggesting graduates find their footing rather than hitting immediate ceilings. Still, these are theater salaries: even at the upper end, we're talking about income levels that will require careful budgeting or supplemental work. The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, one exceptional outcome or two struggling artists could skew these numbers significantly.

For families weighing this path, the relatively light debt load is the strongest argument in favor. Your child won't graduate chained to payments that dwarf their paycheck, which in creative fields often makes the difference between pursuing the work and abandoning it. Just understand that "better than average for theater" still means modest earnings—this is a choice made with passion, not profit, as the primary motivation.