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Drama & Theater Arts

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 50.0501 - 50.0599.

Types of Degrees Drama & Theater Arts Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Drama & Theater Arts may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	703
Associate’s Degree	1,637
Bachelor’s Degree	12,120
Master’s Degree	2,065
Doctor’s Degree	92

What Drama & Theater Arts Majors Need to Know

Studies in Drama & Theater Arts build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Drama & Theater Arts graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Drama & Theater Arts emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Drama & Theater Arts program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Drama & Theater Arts careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Drama & Theater Arts graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Drama & Theater Arts professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drama & Theater Arts graduates include:

• Dance Instructor
• Makeup Artistry Instructor
• Theater Teacher
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Professor
• Piano Pedagogy Professor
• Vocal Teacher
• Graphic Design Professor
• Dance Professor
• Choral Teacher
• Woodshop Instructor
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Digital Arts Instructor
• Music Theory Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Drama & Theater Arts graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	32.3%
Bachelor’s degree	25.8%
Doctoral degree	19.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.7%
Some college courses	3.4%
Less than a high school diploma	2.7%
Postsecondary certificate	2.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.1%
First professional degree	0.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Drama & Theater Arts?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 65.4% of Drama & Theater Arts degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10,885	65.4%
Men	5,755	34.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Drama & Theater Arts graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	9,613	57.8%
Asian	540	3.2%
Hispanic or Latino	2,746	16.5%
Black or African American	1,561	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	21	0.1%
Two or More Races	841	5.1%
Race Unknown	406	2.4%
International Students	862	5.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Drama & Theater Arts Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Drama & Theater Arts graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,253
4 years	$29,200
5 years	$33,047

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $33,047 — roughly 55% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Drama & Theater Arts Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Drama & Theater Arts. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	20
Bachelor’s	9	22
Master’s	9	6

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Drama & Theater Arts Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Drama & Theater Arts graduates earn a median of $29,200 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Visual and Performing Arts	153,937
Design and Applied Arts	38,798
Fine and Studio Arts	37,770
Music	25,853
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	18,927
Visual and Performing Arts, General	7,225
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	4,430
Dance	3,274
Visual and Performing Arts, Other	941
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry	67
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	12
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.