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# Best Drama and Theatre Arts Programs in Texas (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-art-and-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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) leads the list with median earnings of $48,781 four years after completing, followed closely by [Texas State University](/school/texas-state-university/majors/) 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

17 schools in list order

| 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) reports [$48,781 in median earnings](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/outcomes/) 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](/school/texas-state-university/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list with [median earnings of $48,502](/school/texas-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/saint-edwards-university/majors/) posts [median federal debt of $26,000](/school/saint-edwards-university/cost/) 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](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/majors/) [admits 99% of applicants](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/admissions/) 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](/school/baylor-university/majors/) carries an [average net price of $41,104,](/school/baylor-university/cost/) 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](/school/texas-christian-university/majors/) ranks 6th on this list, with [median earnings of $42,483](/school/texas-christian-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-north-texas/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $23,295](/school/university-of-north-texas/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-houston/majors/)'s borrowers who completed is $18,194, and the school posts an [average net price of $14,276](/school/university-of-houston/cost/). |
| 9 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi · Corpus Christi, TX | $41,773 | $15,225 | $11,445 | 88.6% |
|  | [Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi](/school/texas-a-m-university-corpus-christi/majors/) ranks 9th on this list, with [median earnings of $41,773](/school/texas-a-m-university-corpus-christi/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/cost/) 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](/school/stephen-f-austin-state-university/majors/) posts an [average net price of $14,260](/school/stephen-f-austin-state-university/cost/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/outcomes/) 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](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/majors/) [admits 80% of applicants](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/admissions/) 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](/school/sam-houston-state-university/majors/) ranks 14th on this list, with a cohort of 50 graduates in the earnings cohort and an [average net price of $16,404](/school/sam-houston-state-university/cost/). |
| 15 | Southern Methodist University · Dallas, TX | $35,844 | $40,892 | $23,544 | 63.4% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Dallas, [Southern Methodist University](/school/southern-methodist-university/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $22,000](/school/southern-methodist-university/cost/) 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](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $12,457](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/) 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Art & Design Colleges in Texas](/rankings/best-art-and-design-colleges-in-texas/)