Bachelor's · Los Angeles, California

Is Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Loyola Marymount University worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 19.8 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $28,134; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $52,777; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $17,750; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $214k (likely $214k – $254k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $13k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 19.8 years (likely 14.8–20+); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: −$328k (likely −$418k – −$274k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: −$156k (likely −$289k – −$25k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 79%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 20%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at other schools

🎨 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward art, design & performance majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP 2-D Art and Design
AP Drawing
AP Art History
AP Music Theory

IB Higher Level

Visual Arts HL
Music HL or Theatre HL or Film HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at Loyola Marymount University

Law (First professional)$143,361
Business/Commerce, General (Master's)$140,532
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's)$140,519
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral)$134,109
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$127,011
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$111,733
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Master's)$109,396
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$109,303
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's)$103,223
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$100,264
Law (Master's)$98,678
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's)$96,226

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at other schools in California

University of California-Davis$56,823
University of California-Berkeley$55,555
Chapman University$51,611
Pepperdine University$50,594
California State University-Sacramento$47,676
San Francisco State University$44,848
University of California-Santa Barbara$44,106
California State University-Northridge$43,240
California State University-Fullerton$42,455
San Diego State University$41,812