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Acting

Types of Degrees Acting Majors Are Earning

Those studying Acting have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	143
Associate’s Degree	382
Bachelor’s Degree	1,161
Master’s Degree	170

What Acting Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Acting emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.5 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Acting program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Acting careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Acting graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.0 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Acting professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Autodesk Maya	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Acting graduates include:

• Choral Teacher
• Fine Arts Professor
• Vocal Teacher
• Professor
• Music Professor
• Piano Professor
• Choir Teacher
• Open Rank Professor
• Ballet Teacher
• Elementary Art Instructor
• Singing Teacher
• Arts Teacher
• Photography Teacher
• Stagecraft Teacher
• Piano Pedagogy Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	48.3%
Doctoral degree	30.2%
Bachelor’s degree	14.2%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.7%
First professional degree	0.7%
Postsecondary certificate	0.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Acting?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.9% women and 40.1% men among Acting graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,114	59.9%
Men	745	40.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Acting graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	923	49.7%
Asian	42	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	256	13.8%
Black or African American	233	12.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	88	4.7%
Race Unknown	46	2.5%
International Students	267	14.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Acting Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Acting graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in Acting Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Acting 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	CIP Code
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	50.05
Comedy Writing and Performance	50.0511
Costume Design	50.0510
Directing and Theatrical Production	50.0507
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General	50.0501
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other	50.0599
Musical Theatre	50.0509
Playwriting and Screenwriting	50.0504
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology	50.0502
Theatre and Dance	50.0512
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism	50.0505
Art History, Criticism and Conservation	50.0703

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.