U.S. median for this major: $40,085.
College Scorecard field of study; 32 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 42% 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 $33,642. College Scorecard.
UIUC 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 UIUC'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 | $2,038 | $8,458 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,373 | $22,298 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $7,982 | $33,125 | 2.4 years |
| $75–110k | $15,152 | $62,881 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $28,761 | $119,358 | 8.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 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 ($49,323) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,526 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 UIUC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UIUC
- Acceptance rate: 42% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 85% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $81,054
- Full cost breakdown · all 102 majors · overview
Related majors at UIUC
- Music$50,544
- Studio Art—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$65,186
- Dance—
- Film and Photography—
UIUC Theatre questions
How much do UIUC Theatre graduates earn?
Theatre graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $49,323 four years after graduating and $22,159 one year after. The U.S. median for Theatre graduates across 251 colleges is $40,085.
How much debt do UIUC Theatre graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Theatre graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $20,500, about 42% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is UIUC a good school for Theatre in Illinois?
On pay, Theatre graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn $49,323 four years out, $9,367 above the median for the same major across 14 Illinois colleges ($39,956) and $9,238 above the U.S. median ($40,085). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UIUC rank for Theatre in Illinois?
Of 14 Illinois colleges reporting Theatre graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Theatre graduates get?
A common career is producers and directors, with a median wage of $66,420 in the Champaign-Urbana, IL 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: “University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Theatre: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/theatre (College Scorecard and BLS data).