# North Central College: Theatre (bachelor's)

Naperville, IL. IPEDS 147660, CIP 50.05. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/north-central-college/majors/theatre

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $20,416
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $46,605 (U.S. median for this major: $40,085 across 251 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $21,000 (U.S. median $25,000)
- Rank in IL: 3 of 14 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IL median for this major (14 colleges, $39,956): +$6,649
- Versus the U.S. median: +$6,520

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.11 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $46,605 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,507 | $51,404 | 4.8 years |
| 30-48k | $13,486 | $55,427 | 5.1 years |
| 48-75k | $16,362 | $67,248 | 6.2 years |
| 75-110k | $20,590 | $84,625 | 7.8 years |
| 110k+ | $26,961 | $110,810 | 10.3 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Theatre at IL colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $49,323 | $20,500 | $14,355 | 85% |
| Northwestern University | $49,316 | $17,000 | $29,167 | 95% |
| North Central College | $46,605 | $21,000 | $21,044 | 64% |
| DePaul University | $44,095 | $26,348 | $30,902 | 68% |
| Loyola University Chicago | $42,195 | $22,625 | $36,079 | 73% |
| Illinois State University | $40,258 | $24,246 | $19,398 | 65% |
| Columbia College Chicago | $39,986 | $26,977 | $26,598 | 52% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $39,926 | $23,500 | $13,297 | 62% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $39,698 | $26,010 | $14,889 | 57% |
| Millikin University | $38,666 | $27,000 | $21,989 | 55% |
| Roosevelt University | $37,748 | $26,000 | $20,194 | 35% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | $36,792 | $21,238 | $10,974 | 62% |
| Northern Illinois University | $36,777 | $27,000 | $13,391 | 49% |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | $31,172 | $27,000 | $28,199 | 75% |

## Careers
- Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012): median wage $85,040 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, $81,080 IL, $90,360 U.S.; U.S. jobs 4% by 2035
- Writers and Authors (SOC 27-3043): median wage $75,940 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, $68,220 IL, $76,910 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.3% by 2035
- Fashion Designers (SOC 27-1022): median wage $112,950 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, not reported IL, $80,960 U.S.; U.S. jobs 0.1% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).