Theater & Drama Degree in San Antonio, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Theater & Drama degree analysis for San Antonio, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$48K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$60K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
14.3 yrs
in San Antonio
Cost of Living
120
index (100 = avg)
Theater & Drama in San Antonio, TX Overview
San Antonio is one of Texas's top college towns, with 58 institutions and a student population of 95,539. Public tuition averages $10,740/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 San Antonio is approximately $48,000.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
58
Public Tuition
$10,740/yr
Private Tuition
$40,722/yr
Room & Board
$10,768/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$13,745/yr
Unemployment
4.8%
Graduation Rate
66%
Theater & Drama Salary in San Antonio (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for San Antonio's cost of living index of 120 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Theater & Drama salary: $40,000 starting, $50,000 mid-career, $65,000 senior level.San Antonio adjustment factor: 1.20x based on the local cost of living index.
Theater & Drama ROI Calculator for San Antonio
Estimate your return on investment for a Theater & Drama degree using local San Antonio tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,740 | Private avg: $40,722
San Antonio avg aid: $13,745/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$86,032
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$6,000
vs HS diploma in San Antonio
ROI Payback Period
14.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in San Antonio
$9,968
Lifetime earnings premium ($96,000) minus total education cost ($86,032)
Student Loan Payoff for Theater & Drama in San Antonio
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in San Antonio for Theater & Drama
University of Texas at San Antonio
public
$10,740/yr
$42,960 total
Trinity University
private
$47,908/yr
$191,632 total
St. Mary's University
private
$33,536/yr
$134,144 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Alamo Colleges
$2,604/yr
Top Employers for Theater & Drama in San Antonio
San Antonio offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Theater & Drama graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key San Antonio 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
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
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 San Antonio
Chinese Studies
$66K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$60K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$53K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$60K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$50K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$53K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$60K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$50K starting · 5 yr ROI
Theater & Drama Degree in San Antonio — 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 San Antonio.