University of California-Irvine Theatre: earnings, debt & careers

Theatre graduates of University of California-Irvine earn a median $40,773 four years after graduating ($20,461 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $17,862. That is $688 above the U.S. median for Theatre graduates ($40,085 across 251 colleges), and ranks 14th of 23 California colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$40,773

U.S. median for this major: $40,085.

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$20,461

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$17,862

About 44% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,251 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $38,632. College Scorecard.

Theatre at California colleges

Every California college we cover that reports Theatre graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of California-Davis$56,823$13,000$14,74186%
2University of California-Berkeley$55,555$15,112$13,48193%
3Chapman University$51,611$22,500$46,55582%
4Pepperdine University$50,594$19,500$58,09883%
5Loyola Marymount University$49,135$23,250$48,38179%
6California State University-Sacramento$47,676$16,221$9,33856%
7San Francisco State University$44,848$16,250$12,27850%
8University of California-Santa Barbara$44,106$16,852$16,10983%
9California State University-Northridge$43,240$17,863$7,02157%
10California State University-Fullerton$42,455$17,500$6,55570%
11San Diego State University$41,812$15,000$15,36476%
12University of California-San Diego$41,389$14,650$12,47086%
13California Institute of the Arts$41,192$27,000$46,08067%
14University of California-Irvine$40,773$17,862$14,25187%
15California Baptist University$40,432—$26,28562%
16University of Southern California$40,415$12,000$32,74092%
17California State University-San Bernardino$40,118—$4,56455%
18University of California-Los Angeles$39,023$16,970$12,54893%
19California State University-Long Beach$38,270$15,000$10,44069%
20California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo$36,697—$16,66586%
21California State University-Los Angeles$35,097$11,000$3,96753%
22California State University-Fresno$34,320$12,456$7,00057%
23University of California-Santa Cruz$30,524$19,500$17,89075%

34 more California colleges offer Theatre but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Theatre graduates

Producers and Directors

Los Angeles area$131,600
California$129,790
U.S.$90,360

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Writers and Authors

Los Angeles area$77,250
California$86,480
U.S.$76,910

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Fashion Designers

U.S.$80,960

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 University of California-Irvine, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of California-Irvine

Related majors at University of California-Irvine

University of California-Irvine Theatre questions

How much do University of California-Irvine Theatre graduates earn?

Theatre graduates of University of California-Irvine earn a median $40,773 four years after graduating and $20,461 one year after. The U.S. median for Theatre graduates across 251 colleges is $40,085.

How much debt do University of California-Irvine Theatre graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Theatre graduates of University of California-Irvine is $17,862, about 44% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Where does University of California-Irvine rank for Theatre in California?

Of 23 California colleges reporting Theatre graduate earnings, University of California-Irvine ranks 14th. The highest is University of California-Davis at $56,823.

What jobs do Theatre graduates get?

A common career is producers and directors, with a median wage of $131,600 in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 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
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Cite this: “University of California-Irvine Theatre: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-irvine/majors/theatre (College Scorecard and BLS data).