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theatre and dance

Types of Degrees theatre and dance Majors Are Earning

Those studying theatre and dance can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	104
Master’s Degree	2
Doctor’s Degree	1

What theatre and dance Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in theatre and dance emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Fine Arts — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a theatre and dance program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to theatre and dance careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, theatre and dance graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.8 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	3.7 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.6 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by theatre and dance 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	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Apple Final Cut Pro	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Adobe After Effects	Video creation and editing software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for theatre and dance graduates include:

• Dance Instructor
• Drama Professor
• Piano Pedagogy Professor
• Choir Teacher
• Art Educator
• Adjunct Professor
• Music Lecturer
• Theater Professor
• Art Professor
• Drama Teacher
• Dramatic Art Teacher
• Graphic Design Professor
• Photography Teacher
• Choral Teacher
• University Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	28.1%
Master’s degree	22.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	13.3%
Doctoral degree	13.2%
Postsecondary certificate	5.8%
Less than a high school diploma	5.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.4%
Some college courses	3.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
First professional degree	0.8%
Post-master’s certificate	0.7%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in theatre and dance?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69.7% of theatre and dance degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	85	69.7%
Men	37	30.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of theatre and dance graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	79	64.8%
Asian	5	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	21	17.2%
Black or African American	9	7.4%
Two or More Races	2	1.6%
Race Unknown	4	3.3%
International Students	2	1.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do theatre and dance Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of theatre and dance 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.}

Online theatre and dance Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for theatre and dance. 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	1	0

^{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 theatre and dance Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, theatre and dance 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
Acting	50.0506
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 Literature, History and Criticism	50.0505
Ballet	50.0302

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.