Theater & Drama at University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

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

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $19,398/yr (-8% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (37% exposed)

Job Market Large (78,700 openings/yr)

ROI 8.4x earnings multiple (2.8x 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	$513K	$512K	$475K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	8.4x	8.4x	7.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	2.8x	2.8x	2.6x
Probability of Field Employment	36%	33%	27%
DegreeOutlook Score	22	22	18

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$60,988

Out-of-state: $184,096 (2.8x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$61,152

-0% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$13,000

8.0 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$42,690

120% growth from Year 1

University of California-Davis's 42% acceptance rate reflects moderate selectivity, with 31,777 students enrolled in Davis, CA.

Producers and directors $83,480/yr

Fashion designers $80,690/yr

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

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

How does University of California-Davis's Theater & Drama program score?

This program scores 22/100 — on the lower end for Theater & Drama. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.

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