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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 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.
Depaul University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying drama and theater arts schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University 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 $38,471.
Strong graduate earnings at Wayne State University earned it the #2 place for drama and theater arts. Wayne State University is a public school located in the city of Detroit. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Wayne State University typically earn about $30,387 annually.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the highest-paying schools for drama and theater arts. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. Students who complete the drama and theater arts program here go on to a median salary of roughly $32,938.
Strong graduate earnings at Northern Illinois University earned it the #4 place for drama and theater arts. Set in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a public institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of about $41,768 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Ohio University Main Campus earned it the #5 place for drama and theater arts. Located in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a public institution. Drama And Theater Arts graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of about $34,359 a year early in their careers.
Northwestern University earned the #6 position for drama and theater arts graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, drama and theater arts degree recipients from Northwestern University typically earn about $25,804 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their drama and theater arts graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 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.