ROI Major

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 50.05

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft degree from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point earn a median salary of $40,113 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,180. The degree typically pays for itself in 19 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$28,450

Typical Career

$40,113

Top Performers

$54,201

Estimated break-even: 19 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$267

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,343. Most students can comfortably afford about a $267 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wisconsin buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 19.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.2%
Public Administration 10.5%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$42,180

Nominal: $40,113 in Wisconsin (COL 95.1% of national avg) · 5.2% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

19 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $19,784 $26,063 $34,840
5 Years After Graduation $28,450 $40,113 $54,201
10 Years After Graduation $34,630 $53,909 $68,164

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $40,113 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WI, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $40,113 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $42,180 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft program at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $26,063, which rises to $40,113 after five years and reaches $53,909 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at $42,179.81, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth in real income over time.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (19.6%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2%), and Public Administration (10.5%). This distribution suggests that while many graduates may not enter traditional theatre roles, they find opportunities in diverse fields that value their skills. However, with an estimated break-even point of approximately 19 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for this degree may be longer than average, necessitating careful consideration of career goals and financial implications.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft degree at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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