U.S. median for this major: $40,085.
College Scorecard field of study; 274 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 67% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,889. College Scorecard.
Columbia College Chicago Theatre: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Columbia College Chicago's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,924 | $90,810 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $21,423 | $92,976 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $25,590 | $111,061 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $31,677 | $137,478 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $36,436 | $158,132 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (39% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Theatre graduates 4 years after graduating ($39,986) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,189 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Theatre at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Theatre graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $49,323 | $20,500 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 2 | Northwestern University | $49,316 | $17,000 | $29,167 | 95% |
| 3 | North Central College | $46,605 | $21,000 | $21,044 | 64% |
| 4 | DePaul University | $44,095 | $26,348 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | $42,195 | $22,625 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 6 | Illinois State University | $40,258 | $24,246 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 7 | Columbia College Chicago | $39,986 | $26,977 | $26,598 | 52% |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $39,926 | $23,500 | $13,297 | 62% |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $39,698 | $26,010 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 10 | Millikin University | $38,666 | $27,000 | $21,989 | 55% |
| 11 | Roosevelt University | $37,748 | $26,000 | $20,194 | 35% |
| 12 | University of Illinois Chicago | $36,792 | $21,238 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University | $36,777 | $27,000 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 14 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $31,172 | $27,000 | $28,199 | 75% |
23 more Illinois colleges offer Theatre but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Theatre graduates
Producers and Directors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Writers and Authors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Fashion Designers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +0.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Columbia College Chicago, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Columbia College Chicago
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 52% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,195
- Full cost breakdown · all 26 majors · overview
Related majors at Columbia College Chicago
- Music$40,734
- Studio Art$42,176
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$48,601
- Dance$41,842
- Arts and Entertainment Management$50,592
- Film and Photography$41,200
Columbia College Chicago Theatre questions
How much do Columbia College Chicago Theatre graduates earn?
Theatre graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median $39,986 four years after graduating and $17,929 one year after. The U.S. median for Theatre graduates across 251 colleges is $40,085.
How much debt do Columbia College Chicago Theatre graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Theatre graduates of Columbia College Chicago is $26,977, about 67% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Columbia College Chicago a good school for Theatre in Illinois?
On pay, Theatre graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn $39,986 four years out, $30 above the median for the same major across 14 Illinois colleges ($39,956) and $99 below the U.S. median ($40,085). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Columbia College Chicago rank for Theatre in Illinois?
Of 14 Illinois colleges reporting Theatre graduate earnings, Columbia College Chicago ranks 7th. The highest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at $49,323.
What jobs do Theatre graduates get?
A common career is producers and directors, with a median wage of $85,040 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $90,360 nationally. Others include writers and authors and fashion designers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Columbia College Chicago Theatre: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/majors/theatre (College Scorecard and BLS data).