Best Drama and Theatre Arts Programs in Texas (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas
This page ranks the 17 Drama and Theatre Arts programs in Texas by the median earnings of Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. The University of Texas at Austin leads the list with median earnings of $48,781 four years after completing, followed closely by Texas State University at $48,502.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $41,773, with a spread of $27,729 from $48,781 to $21,052. For 1 of the 17 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 65% of the list, with 11 public and 6 private nonprofit schools represented. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley posts the lowest average net price at $4,831.
The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $48,781 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin reports $48,781 in median earnings for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, and its admission rate of 27% is the lowest on the page. | |||||
| 2 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $48,502 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University ranks 2nd on this list with median earnings of $48,502 four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $16,805. | |||||
| 3 | Saint Edward's University · Austin, TX | $47,974 | $25,578 | $20,799 | 81.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Austin, Saint Edward's University posts median federal debt of $26,000 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 81%. | |||||
| 4 | West Texas A & M University · Canyon, TX | $47,175 | $19,487 | $16,525 | 98.7% |
| West Texas A & M University admits 99% of applicants and its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $47,175 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Baylor University · Waco, TX | $45,706 | $41,104 | $22,024 | 51.3% |
| Baylor University carries an average net price of $41,104, while its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $45,706 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Texas Christian University · Fort Worth, TX | $42,483 | $36,660 | $17,956 | 44.5% |
| Texas Christian University ranks 6th on this list, with median earnings of $42,483 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 44%. | |||||
| 7 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $42,362 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| University of North Texas reports median federal debt of $23,295 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed, and its graduates earn a median of $42,362 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | University of Houston · Houston, TX | $42,301 | $14,276 | $10,929 | 73.9% |
| Median federal debt across all of University of Houston's borrowers who completed is $18,194, and the school posts an average net price of $14,276. | |||||
| 9 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi · Corpus Christi, TX | $41,773 | $15,225 | $11,445 | 88.6% |
| Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi ranks 9th on this list, with median earnings of $41,773 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 89%. | |||||
| 10 | University of the Incarnate Word · San Antonio, TX | $41,720 | $22,775 | $19,260 | 98.1% |
| University of the Incarnate Word reports median federal debt of $27,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $41,720 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Stephen F Austin State University · Nacogdoches, TX | $41,450 | $14,260 | $10,318 | 94.0% |
| Stephen F Austin State University posts an average net price of $14,260 and median federal debt of $24,114 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 12 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · Edinburg, TX | $38,865 | $4,831 | $3,785 | 94.2% |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley carries the lowest average net price on the page at $4,831, and its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates earn a median of $38,865 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $36,457 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
| The University of Texas at Arlington admits 80% of applicants and reports median earnings of $36,457 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Sam Houston State University · Huntsville, TX | $36,389 | $16,404 | $12,474 | 90.3% |
| Sam Houston State University ranks 14th on this list, with a cohort of 50 graduates in the earnings cohort and an average net price of $16,404. | |||||
| 15 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $35,844 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in Dallas, Southern Methodist University shows median federal debt of $22,000 among Drama and Theatre Arts completers who borrowed and median earnings of $35,844 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $30,074 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Texas Tech University reports an average net price of $12,457 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 86th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 17 | Texas Lutheran University · Seguin, TX | $21,052 | $24,654 | $20,512 | 95.7% |
| An admission rate of 96% and median earnings of $21,052 for its Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing are reported by Texas Lutheran University. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Drama and Theatre Arts graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Texas appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of Drama and Theatre Arts who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. For 1 of the 17 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University sit just $279 apart at the top, while the spread from the highest to the lowest listed median reaches $27,729.