by our College Data Analytics Team
[Drama And Theater Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/drama-and-theater-arts/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their drama and theater arts graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find where drama and theater arts graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose drama and theater arts graduates go on to earn the most.
Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts earned the #1 spot for highest-paid drama and theater arts graduates in the United States. Set in the city of Dallas, Kd College Conservatory Of Film And Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $22,055.
Cuny Laguardia Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Located in the city of Long Island City, Cuny Laguardia Community College is a public institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Cuny Laguardia Community College typically earn about $31,640 annually.
New York Conservatory For Dramatic Arts came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Located in the city of New York, New York Conservatory For Dramatic Arts is a private for-profit institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of New York Conservatory For Dramatic Arts earn a median of about $22,943 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Theatre Of Arts earned it the #4 place for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of Hollywood, Theatre Of Arts is a private for-profit institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Theatre Of Arts earn a median of about $18,746 a year early in their careers.
American Musical And Dramatic Academy came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Located in the city of New York, American Musical And Dramatic Academy is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $15,909.
American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles landed the #6 spot for drama and theater arts salaries this year. American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from American Academy Of Dramatic Arts Los Angeles make a median of around $18,854 per year.
American Academy Of Dramatic Arts New York placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of New York, American Academy Of Dramatic Arts New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of American Academy Of Dramatic Arts New York earn a median of about $18,854 a year early in their careers.
Community College Of Philadelphia ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Community College Of Philadelphia is a public institution. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $13,582.
New York Film Academy placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. Located in the city of Burbank, New York Film Academy is a private for-profit institution. Early-career drama and theater arts graduates from New York Film Academy make a median of around $6,814 per year.
Explore the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools at other degree levels:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries drama and theater arts graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.