Theater & Drama Degree in Fort Worth, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Theater & Drama degree analysis for Fort Worth, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$40K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$51K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
16.7 yrs
in Fort Worth
Cost of Living
101
index (100 = avg)
Theater & Drama in Fort Worth, TX Overview
Fort Worth, Texas (pop. 918,915) has 19 colleges offering Theater & Drama programs. The local cost of living index of 101 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,344/month. 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 Fort Worth is approximately $40,400.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
19
Public Tuition
$10,870/yr
Private Tuition
$43,547/yr
Room & Board
$10,247/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,933/yr
Unemployment
5.7%
Graduation Rate
68%
Theater & Drama Salary in Fort Worth (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Fort Worth's cost of living index of 101 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Theater & Drama salary: $40,000 starting, $50,000 mid-career, $65,000 senior level.Fort Worth adjustment factor: 1.01x based on the local cost of living index.
Theater & Drama ROI Calculator for Fort Worth
Estimate your return on investment for a Theater & Drama degree using local Fort Worth tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,870 | Private avg: $43,547
Fort Worth avg aid: $7,933/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,468
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$5,050
vs HS diploma in Fort Worth
ROI Payback Period
16.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Fort Worth
$-3,668
Lifetime earnings premium ($80,800) minus total education cost ($84,468)
Student Loan Payoff for Theater & Drama in Fort Worth
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Fort Worth for Theater & Drama
Texas Christian University
private
$54,620/yr
$218,480 total
Texas Wesleyan University
private
$32,474/yr
$129,896 total
University of Texas at Arlington
public
$10,870/yr
$43,480 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Tarrant County College
$2,220/yr
Top Employers for Theater & Drama in Fort Worth
Fort Worth offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Theater & Drama graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Fort Worth 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
El Paso, TX
$37K starting · COL 93
38 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 Fort Worth
Chinese Studies
$56K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$51K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$44K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$51K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$42K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$44K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$51K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$42K starting · 5 yr ROI
Theater & Drama Degree in Fort Worth — 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 Fort Worth.