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Visual & Performing Arts · Theater & Drama Rank #72 of 270

Theater & Dramaat Manhattan School of Music

Graduates earn $29,400/yr in their first year — about 39.0% above the national Theater & Drama average. Base-case 10-year earnings $441K; scenarios range from $418K to $437K depending on AI disruption.

New York, NY Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
25 AT RISK
25
Optimistic
17
Pessimistic
Earnings
$29,400
1-year post-graduation
ROI
0.3x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$441K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
38% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Manhattan School of Music

Your exploration of Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at the Manhattan School of Music places you in an exceptionally unique position. Being embedded in New York City, the epicenter of American performing arts, provides an unparalleled advantage. This isn't just a degree; it's an immersive conservatory experience, offering intense, practical training designed to launch you directly into the professional world. The robust outcomes reflect direct access to a highly concentrated labor market, from Broadway and Off-Broadway productions to film, television, and commercial work. Graduates often leverage the school's reputation and faculty connections to secure early roles, whether performing, directing, writing, or contributing to technical production and design. Your peers and professors become an invaluable network, essential for navigating the highly competitive but high-reward NYC arts scene. To maximize your potential, immerse yourself in every opportunity for professional engagement and networking from day one.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$418K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score17/100
Earnings Multiple1.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$441K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score25/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$437K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score25/100
Earnings Multiple2.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Manhattan School of Music's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Theater & Drama graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Producers and directors
+4.9% 10-yr growth · 12,800 openings/yr
$83,480/yr
Moderate
2
Fashion designers
+2.0% 10-yr growth · 2,300 openings/yr
$80,690/yr
Moderate
3
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary
+1.7% 10-yr growth · 9,000 openings/yr
$80,190/yr
Moderate
4
Writers and authors
+3.6% 10-yr growth · 13,400 openings/yr
$72,270/yr
Very High
5
Set and exhibit designers
+2.3% 10-yr growth · 2,500 openings/yr
$66,280/yr
Moderate
6
Music directors and composers
-0.3% 10-yr growth · 4,300 openings/yr
$63,670/yr
Very High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Theater & Drama

How Manhattan School of Music stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Saint Mary's College of California
CA · Private nonprofit
31
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
0.7x
ROI
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
29
DW Score
$38K
1-yr earn
1.5x
ROI
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
VA · Public
31
DW Score
$37K
1-yr earn
4.8x
ROI
University of South Dakota
SD · Public
29
DW Score
$34K
1-yr earn
6.5x
ROI
Top score
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
34
DW Score
$33K
1-yr earn
6.1x
ROI

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Theater & Drama offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Theater & Drama trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Theater & Drama at Manhattan School of Music

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Theater & Drama at Manhattan School of Music?

A score of 25/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Theater & Drama. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.