U.S. median for this major: $40,085.
College Scorecard field of study; 113 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 56% 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 $80,399. College Scorecard.
Emerson College 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 Emerson College'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 | $32,650 | $133,539 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $32,621 | $133,420 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $41,927 | $171,481 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $46,252 | $189,171 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $57,288 | $234,308 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($44,760) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,880 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 Massachusetts colleges
Every Massachusetts 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 | Brandeis University | $58,676 | — | $35,736 | 86% |
| 2 | Emerson College | $44,760 | $25,000 | $49,180 | 77% |
| 3 | Suffolk University | $43,553 | $27,000 | $29,618 | 61% |
| 4 | Boston University | $39,322 | $26,958 | $24,402 | 89% |
| 5 | Dean College | $36,724 | $27,000 | $30,684 | 54% |
27 more Massachusetts 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 Emerson College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Emerson College
- Acceptance rate: 51% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 77% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $62,832
- Full cost breakdown · all 14 majors · overview
Related majors at Emerson College
- Music—
- Film and Photography$49,951
Emerson College Theatre questions
How much do Emerson College Theatre graduates earn?
Theatre graduates of Emerson College earn a median $44,760 four years after graduating and $19,560 one year after. The U.S. median for Theatre graduates across 251 colleges is $40,085.
How much debt do Emerson College Theatre graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Theatre graduates of Emerson College is $25,000, about 56% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Emerson College a good school for Theatre in Massachusetts?
On pay, Theatre graduates of Emerson College earn $44,760 four years out, $1,207 above the median for the same major across 5 Massachusetts colleges ($43,553) and $4,675 above the U.S. median ($40,085). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Emerson College rank for Theatre in Massachusetts?
Of 5 Massachusetts colleges reporting Theatre graduate earnings, Emerson College ranks 2nd. The highest is Brandeis University at $58,676.
What jobs do Theatre graduates get?
A common career is producers and directors, with a median wage of $83,850 in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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: “Emerson College Theatre: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/emerson-college/majors/theatre (College Scorecard and BLS data).