by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 53 U.S. colleges awarded 937 degrees and certificates in Playwriting & Screenwriting. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 57% of graduates. College Factual ranks 23 schools in its 2027 Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $21,269 one year after completing, rising to $40,353 after four years.
Studying Playwriting & Screenwriting covers Playwriting And Screenwriting. A Program That Focuses On The Principles And Techniques For Communicating Dramatic Information, Ideas, Moods, And Feelings Through The Composition Of Creative Written Works For The Theatre, Film, And/or Television. Includes Instruction In Creative Writing Craft, Scene Writing, Script Development, Stage And/or Camera Instructions, Line And Moment Analysis, Script Reading, Script Editing, And The Creation Of Full Productions. Examples: [Dramatic Writing], [Writing For Screen And Television].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., playwriting & screenwriting is a popular field of study, with 937 degrees awarded annually. 53 colleges award playwriting & screenwriting degrees, an average of 18 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 108.
By level, the 937 awards include 41 certificates, 534 bachelor’s degrees and 362 master’s degrees.
Women earned 56% of playwriting & screenwriting degrees and certificates in the latest year (523 of 937). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (477) and Black or African American (141), and international students earned 66.
College Factual ranks 23 schools in its 2027 Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Schools ranking, including 16 for bachelor’s degrees and 10 for master’s degrees. It also ranks playwriting & screenwriting schools within 9 states. In all, 53 colleges offer playwriting & screenwriting programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Playwriting & Screenwriting Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common playwriting & screenwriting credential is the bachelor’s degree: 534 of the 937 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to playwriting & screenwriting call most for Speaking, Writing and Reading Comprehension, and for knowledge of English Language, Fine Arts and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Written Expression, Oral Expression and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a playwriting & screenwriting degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 41 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 534 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 362 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to playwriting & screenwriting, at 39.3%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 39.3% |
| Doctoral degree | 23.8% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 20.2% |
| Some college courses | 7.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.3% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 1.1% |
| First professional degree | 1.1% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET Online.
3 occupations are related to Playwriting & Screenwriting, with an average median salary of $60,266; the strongest outlook belongs to Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary, at 9.1% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Stagecraft Professor, Open Rank Professor, Music Professor and Baton Teacher.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to playwriting & screenwriting, at 1,074,154.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,074,154 | 9.1% |
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | 175,767 | 9.1% |
| Writers and Authors | 155,629 | -4.3% |
Playwriting & Screenwriting graduates earn a median $21,269 one year after completing their program, $40,353 after four years and $33,075 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $21,269 |
| 4 years | $40,353 |
| 5 years | $33,075 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to playwriting & screenwriting is Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers, with a median salary of $70,619.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers | $70,619 |
| Writers and Authors | $63,195 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,983 |
Playwriting & Screenwriting has 10 similar majors in the Visual & Performing Arts field, which together award 15,391 degrees a year; the largest are Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General (10,369), Acting (1,721) and Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology (1,247). Browse all Visual & Performing Arts majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | 10,369 |
| Acting | 1,721 |
| Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology | 1,247 |
| Musical Theatre | 1,217 |
| Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | 418 |
| Directing and Theatrical Production | 214 |
| Theatre and Dance | 99 |
| Theatre Literature, History and Criticism | 39 |
| Comedy Writing and Performance | 35 |
| Costume Design | 32 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
