Theater & Drama Degree in El Paso, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Theater & Drama degree analysis for El Paso, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$37K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$47K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
19.6 yrs
in El Paso
Cost of Living
93
index (100 = avg)
Theater & Drama in El Paso, TX Overview
El Paso is one of Texas's top college towns, with 38 institutions and a student population of 26,186. Public tuition averages $8,886/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Although national enrollment in Theater & Drama has been declining, graduates with skills in Acting and Directing remain competitive in the job market. The adjusted starting salary in El Paso is approximately $37,200.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
38
Public Tuition
$8,886/yr
Private Tuition
$12,800/yr
Room & Board
$13,953/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,714/yr
Unemployment
4.4%
Graduation Rate
56%
Theater & Drama Salary in El Paso (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for El Paso's cost of living index of 93 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Theater & Drama salary: $40,000 starting, $50,000 mid-career, $65,000 senior level.El Paso adjustment factor: 0.93x based on the local cost of living index.
Theater & Drama ROI Calculator for El Paso
Estimate your return on investment for a Theater & Drama degree using local El Paso tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,886 | Private avg: $12,800
El Paso avg aid: $16,714/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$91,356
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$4,650
vs HS diploma in El Paso
ROI Payback Period
19.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in El Paso
$-16,956
Lifetime earnings premium ($74,400) minus total education cost ($91,356)
Student Loan Payoff for Theater & Drama in El Paso
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in El Paso for Theater & Drama
University of Texas at El Paso
public
$8,592/yr
$34,368 total
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
public
$9,180/yr
$36,720 total
Western Technical College
private
$12,800/yr
$51,200 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
El Paso Community College
$2,616/yr
Top Employers for Theater & Drama in El Paso
El Paso offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Theater & Drama graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key El Paso Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Theater & Drama Job Titles
Theater & Drama in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$46K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$48K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$42K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$43K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$40K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
Arlington, TX
$37K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$33K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$34K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in El Paso
Chinese Studies
$51K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$47K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$41K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$47K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$39K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$41K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$47K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$39K starting · 5 yr ROI
Theater & Drama Degree in El Paso — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Theater & Drama ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in El Paso.