Theater & Drama Degree in St. Louis, MO — Salary & ROI 2026
Theater & Drama degree analysis for St. Louis, MO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$39K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$49K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
17.4 yrs
in St. Louis
Cost of Living
97
index (100 = avg)
Theater & Drama in St. Louis, MO Overview
St. Louis is one of Missouri's top college towns, with 23 institutions and a student population of 23,342. Public tuition averages $12,343/year here — near the national average for public universities. 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 St. Louis is approximately $38,800.
Category
Humanities
Local Colleges
23
Public Tuition
$12,343/yr
Private Tuition
$55,255/yr
Room & Board
$8,721/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,996/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
48%
Theater & Drama Salary in St. Louis (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for St. Louis's cost of living index of 97 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Theater & Drama salary: $40,000 starting, $50,000 mid-career, $65,000 senior level.St. Louis adjustment factor: 0.97x based on the local cost of living index.
Theater & Drama ROI Calculator for St. Louis
Estimate your return on investment for a Theater & Drama degree using local St. Louis tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,343 | Private avg: $55,255
St. Louis avg aid: $9,996/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,256
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$4,850
vs HS diploma in St. Louis
ROI Payback Period
17.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in St. Louis
$-6,656
Lifetime earnings premium ($77,600) minus total education cost ($84,256)
Student Loan Payoff for Theater & Drama in St. Louis
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in St. Louis for Theater & Drama
Washington University in St. Louis
private
$60,590/yr
$242,360 total
Saint Louis University
private
$49,920/yr
$199,680 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
St. Louis Community College
$3,600/yr
Top Employers for Theater & Drama in St. Louis
St. Louis offers opportunities in Publishing, Non-profits, Education for Theater & Drama graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key St. Louis Hiring Sectors for Humanities
Publishing
Non-profits
Education
Media companies
Government
Common Theater & Drama Job Titles
Theater & Drama in Nearby Missouri Cities
Kansas City, MO
$38K starting · COL 94
44 colleges
Springfield, MO
$32K starting · COL 80
5 colleges
Columbia, MO
$34K starting · COL 84
10 colleges
Independence, MO
$34K starting · COL 85.8
5 colleges
Lee's Summit, MO
$38K starting · COL 95.5
4 colleges
OFallon, MO
$35K starting · COL 87.3
4 colleges
St. Joseph, MO
$36K starting · COL 90.4
3 colleges
St. Charles, MO
$33K starting · COL 83.4
3 colleges
Other Humanities Majors in St. Louis
Chinese Studies
$53K starting · 4 yr ROI
Linguistics
$49K starting · 5.5 yr ROI
Philosophy
$43K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
Foreign Languages & Literatures
$49K starting · 6.5 yr ROI
English
$41K starting · 7 yr ROI
History
$43K starting · 7.5 yr ROI
Classics
$49K starting · 8 yr ROI
Africana Studies
$41K starting · 5 yr ROI
Theater & Drama Degree in St. Louis — 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 St. Louis.