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Theater & Drama at Emerson College

Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
13 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
14
Optimistic
13
Base Case
10
Pessimistic
Earnings $19,560/yr (-8% vs median)
AI Risk Moderate (37% exposed)
Job Market Large (78,700 openings/yr)
ROI 2.1x earnings multiple
Ranked #251 of 270 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Theater & Drama graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $457K $459K $433K
Earnings Multiple 2.1x 2.1x 2.0x
Probability of Field Employment 36% 33% 27%
DegreeOutlook Score 14 13 10

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$221,568
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$187,064
16% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$25,000
15.3 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$33,947
74% growth from Year 1

About Emerson College

With a 47% acceptance rate, Emerson College is moderately selective, a smaller institution with 4,145 students in Boston, MA.

See all programs and financial aid at Emerson College →

Top Career Paths

Producers and directors $83,480/yr
Fashion designers $80,690/yr
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190/yr
View all 12 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 270 schools offering Theater & Drama →

Theater & Drama at Other Schools

Saint Mary's College of California ($38,160) University of Notre Dame ($37,531) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ($36,557) University of South Dakota ($33,852) The University of Texas at Austin ($33,261) Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ($33,169) Carnegie Mellon University ($32,967) University of Colorado Boulder ($32,142)

Other Majors at Emerson College

Communication and Media Studies ($44,108) Marketing ($41,651) Journalism ($39,703) Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies ($33,441) Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ($28,606) Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($27,032)

Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?

Compare Theater & Drama trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Theater & Drama at Emerson College?
A score of 13/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Theater & Drama. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Is Theater & Drama at Emerson College worth the student debt?
Median debt of $25,000 against $19,560/yr starting salary means roughly 1.3 years of earnings go to repayment. That's above average — financial aid and loan terms matter here.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →