How much debt do Binghamton University theatre graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,500, which ranks 4th lowest of 27 theatre bachelor's programs in New York. That works out to about $217 a month over 10 years.

Is a theatre degree from Binghamton University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 108% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 115%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several New York programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Binghamton University Theatre (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Binghamton University theatre graduates stay in New York?

Most do. 87% (20 of 23) were working in New York one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Public university
Vestal, NY
About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Binghamton University theatre graduates earn about what theatre graduates earn nationally, $18,920 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,500 in federal loans, less than at 80% of theatre programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying theatre degrees in New York.

First-year earnings$18,92031st percentile of 257 programs nationally

Median federal debt$20,5004th lowest of 27 New York programs

Debt-to-earnings108%New York median 132%, national 115%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The New York and national columns are the medians across all theatre bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Binghamton University	New York	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$18,920	$18,740	$20,815
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,500	$26,000	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	108%	132%	115%
Programs compared		31	257

Debt and first-year pay at every New York theatre program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the New York medians.

Binghamton UniversityOther New York programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $217 a month, or 13.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

87% of graduates (20 of 23) were working in New York one year after graduating. Prices in the Binghamton area are about 7% below the national average, so a $18,920 salary here buys what about $20,374 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to theatre, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Producers and Directors

$107,550

Median pay in New York. 27,990 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $61,960Top 10%: $222,580

Writers and Authors

$76,910

Median pay nationwide. 7,480 people work in this job in New York. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

About Binghamton University

In-state tuition and fees	$10,567 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$30,447 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,620 / year
Admission rate	39%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	82%
Undergraduate students	14,655

Theatre ranks 35th of 35 bachelor's programs at Binghamton University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($86,938), Nursing ($86,404), and Computer Science ($82,329).

Other theatre bachelor's programs near Vestal

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY · public		$18,920	$20,500
Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · private nonprofit	36 mi	$18,243	$26,000
SUNY OneontaOneonta, NY · public	53 mi	$18,740	$23,144

Common questions

The median graduate earns $18,920 one year after graduating. The median across theatre bachelor's programs in New York is $18,740.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of New York comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the theatre program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Theatre bachelor's programs in New York, ranked31 programs by pay and debt Theatre bachelor's programs in the US, ranked257 programs by pay and debt All Binghamton University programs, ranked35 programs by pay and debt