Bachelor's · Montclair, New Jersey
Is Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at Montclair State University worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Graduates typically don't earn back the cost within 20 years, compared with the no-degree baseline.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $37,458
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $42,157
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $20,542
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $64k (likely $64k – $81k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $2k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in NJ
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- Not within 20 years in most scenarios
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$224k (likely −$284k – −$179k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$175k (likely −$281k – −$61k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 66%
- 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 Montclair State University
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$117,544
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$109,167
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$108,975
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$104,724
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate certificate)$91,810
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$87,244
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$84,906
- Social Work (Graduate certificate)$82,838
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's)$81,519
- Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's)$81,192
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$79,692
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Graduate certificate)$77,546
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft at other schools in New Jersey
- Ramapo College of New Jersey$44,565
- Rutgers University-Camden$42,712
- Rutgers University-New Brunswick$42,712
- Rutgers University-Newark$42,712
- Rowan University$38,597
- Drew University$38,562
- Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus$33,749
- Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus$33,749
- Kean University$32,107