How much debt do Central Michigan University theatre graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $28,000, which ranks 6th lowest of 6 theatre bachelor's programs in Michigan. That works out to about $297 a month over 10 years.

Is a theatre degree from Central Michigan University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 156% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 115%. Compare the cost with other Michigan programs before deciding.

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

Bachelor's in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Public university
Mount Pleasant, MI
About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Central Michigan University theatre graduates earn less than graduates of most theatre programs nationally, $17,962 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $28,000 in federal loans, more than at 97% of theatre programs in the country. Two other Michigan programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$17,96221st percentile of 257 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$37,001106% more than year one

Median federal debt$28,0006th lowest of 6 Michigan programs

Debt-to-earnings156%Michigan median 130%, national 115%

How it compares

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

	Central Michigan University	Michigan	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$17,962	$17,770	$20,815
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$37,001	$32,831	$34,512
Median federal debt at graduation	$28,000	$26,678	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	156%	130%	115%
Programs compared		6	257

Five years out, Central Michigan University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $4,170 more than the Michigan median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Michigan theatre program

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

Central Michigan UniversityOther Michigan programs

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

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 106% between the first and fifth year.

Central Michigan University grads, year 1$17,962

Central Michigan University grads, year 5$37,001

All Michigan theatre grads, year 5$32,831

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $297 a month, or 19.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the parts of Michigan outside metro areas are about 11% below the national average, so a $17,962 salary here buys what about $20,188 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

$65,720

Median pay in Michigan. 2,310 people work in this job in Michigan. 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%: $38,500Top 10%: $122,220

Writers and Authors

$76,910

Median pay nationwide. 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 Central Michigan University

Tuition and fees	$14,760 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,597 / year
Admission rate	90%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	59%
Undergraduate students	10,035

Theatre ranks 53rd of 53 bachelor's programs at Central Michigan University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($74,135), Electrical Engineering ($71,457), and Mechanical Engineering ($69,862).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $17,962 one year after graduating and $37,001 five years after. The median across theatre bachelor's programs in Michigan is $17,770.

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 Michigan 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 Michigan, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Theatre bachelor's programs in the US, ranked257 programs by pay and debt All Central Michigan University programs, ranked53 programs by pay and debt