U.S. median for this major: $40,085.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 30% 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 $90,300. 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.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Davis | $56,823 | $13,000 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley | $55,555 | $15,112 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 3 | Chapman University | $51,611 | $22,500 | $46,555 | 82% |
| 4 | Pepperdine University | $50,594 | $19,500 | $58,098 | 83% |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount University | $49,135 | $23,250 | $48,381 | 79% |
| 6 | California State University-Sacramento | $47,676 | $16,221 | $9,338 | 56% |
| 7 | San Francisco State University | $44,848 | $16,250 | $12,278 | 50% |
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $44,106 | $16,852 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 9 | California State University-Northridge | $43,240 | $17,863 | $7,021 | 57% |
| 10 | California State University-Fullerton | $42,455 | $17,500 | $6,555 | 70% |
| 11 | San Diego State University | $41,812 | $15,000 | $15,364 | 76% |
| 12 | University of California-San Diego | $41,389 | $14,650 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 13 | California Institute of the Arts | $41,192 | $27,000 | $46,080 | 67% |
| 14 | University of California-Irvine | $40,773 | $17,862 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 15 | California Baptist University | $40,432 | — | $26,285 | 62% |
| 16 | University of Southern California | $40,415 | $12,000 | $32,740 | 92% |
| 17 | California State University-San Bernardino | $40,118 | — | $4,564 | 55% |
| 18 | University of California-Los Angeles | $39,023 | $16,970 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 19 | California State University-Long Beach | $38,270 | $15,000 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 20 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $36,697 | — | $16,665 | 86% |
| 21 | California State University-Los Angeles | $35,097 | $11,000 | $3,967 | 53% |
| 22 | California State University-Fresno | $34,320 | $12,456 | $7,000 | 57% |
| 23 | University of California-Santa Cruz | $30,524 | $19,500 | $17,890 | 75% |
34 more California 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 USC, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About USC
- Acceptance rate: 10% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 92% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $92,498
- Full cost breakdown · all 89 majors · overview
Related majors at USC
- Music$34,124
- Studio Art$72,428
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$89,022
- Dance—
- Arts and Entertainment Management$63,353
- Film and Photography$58,623
USC Theatre questions
How much do USC Theatre graduates earn?
Theatre graduates of University of Southern California earn a median $40,415 four years after graduating and $21,473 one year after. The U.S. median for Theatre graduates across 251 colleges is $40,085.
How much debt do USC Theatre graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Theatre graduates of University of Southern California is $12,000, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Where does USC rank for Theatre in California?
Of 23 California colleges reporting Theatre graduate earnings, University of Southern California ranks 16th. 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Southern California Theatre: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-southern-california/majors/theatre (College Scorecard and BLS data).