Theater & Drama at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $21,189/yr (0% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (37% exposed)

Job Market Large (78,700 openings/yr)

ROI 8.6x earnings multiple (3.6x out-of-state)

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	$462K	$464K	$437K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	8.6x	8.6x	8.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	3.6x	3.6x	3.4x
Probability of Field Employment	36%	33%	27%
DegreeOutlook Score	21	21	17

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$53,936

Out-of-state: $127,896 (3.6x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$72,436

-34% less than sticker · See by income

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$35,606

68% growth from Year 1

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville accepts 46% of applicants, balancing access with selectivity, with 28,763 students enrolled in Knoxville, TN.

Producers and directors $83,480/yr

Fashion designers $80,690/yr

Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80,190/yr

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

What does a 21/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Theater & Drama at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

At 21/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Theater & Drama programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →