How much debt do Ohio University theatre graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,750, which ranks the lowest of 9 theatre bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $241 a month over 10 years.

Is a theatre degree from Ohio University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 146% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 115%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

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

Bachelor's in Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Public university
Athens, OH
About 43 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Ohio University theatre graduates earn less than graduates of most theatre programs nationally, $15,602 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,750 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several Ohio programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$15,6027th percentile of 257 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$35,540128% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,750The lowest of 9 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings146%Ohio median 139%, national 115%

How it compares

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

	Ohio University	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$15,602	$21,685	$20,815
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$35,540	$33,877	$34,512
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,750	$26,000	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	146%	139%	115%
Programs compared		13	257

Five years out, Ohio University graduates earn about the national figure and about $1,664 more than the Ohio median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio theatre program

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

Ohio UniversityOther Ohio 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 128% between the first and fifth year.

Ohio University grads, year 1$15,602

Ohio University grads, year 5$35,540

All Ohio theatre grads, year 5$33,877

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 $241 a month, or 18.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (35 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	40–59%

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the parts of Ohio outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $15,602 salary here buys what about $17,667 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

$69,350

Median pay in Ohio. 1,610 people work in this job in Ohio. 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%: $44,950Top 10%: $122,450

Writers and Authors

$65,930

Median pay in Ohio. 830 people work in this job in Ohio. 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.

Bottom 10%: $40,190Top 10%: $101,710

About Ohio University

In-state tuition and fees	$14,158 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$24,838 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,637 / year
Admission rate	85%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	65%
Undergraduate students	19,633

Theatre ranks 53rd of 53 bachelor's programs at Ohio University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($75,809), Computer Science ($73,932), and Industrial Engineering ($70,199).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $15,602 one year after graduating and $35,540 five years after. The median across theatre bachelor's programs in Ohio is $21,685.

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 Ohio 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 Ohio, ranked13 programs by pay and debt Theatre bachelor's programs in the US, ranked257 programs by pay and debt All Ohio University programs, ranked60 programs by pay and debt