Theatre Literature, History and Criticism Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism maps to BLS occupations averaging about $244,416, with roughly 865,060 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $8,586; common paths include Lawyers and English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary.
Key Statistics
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism: what the data shows
Common questions about theatre literature, history and criticism degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a theatre literature, history and criticism degree?
A Theatre Literature, History and Criticism program is classified under NCES CIP 50.0505 in the Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft field family (50.05).
A program that focuses on the study of the history, literature, theory, and analysis of written plays, theatrical productions, and theatre methods and organization. Includes instruction in historical method; critical theory; literary analysis; the study of themes and archetypes in dramatic literature; the history of acting, directing, and technical theatre; and the study of specific historical and cultural styles and traditions
IPEDS counted 16 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of theatre literature, history and criticism degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 50.05 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Acting (CIP 50.0506)
- Comedy Writing and Performance (CIP 50.0511)
- Costume Design (CIP 50.0510)
- Directing and Theatrical Production (CIP 50.0507)
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General (CIP 50.0501)
- Musical Theatre (CIP 50.0509)
- Playwriting and Screenwriting (CIP 50.0504)
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology (CIP 50.0502)
- Theatre and Dance (CIP 50.0512)
How long does it take to get a theatre literature, history and criticism degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0505 in our file:
- 16 Bachelor's (76.2% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 5 Master's (23.8% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Lawyers (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 50.0505, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a theatre literature, history and criticism degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Theatre Literature, History and Criticism to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 747,750 | $151,160 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 59,590 | $78,270 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | 21,170 | $77,010 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | 19,860 | $81,500 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | 5,260 | $95,770 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a theatre literature, history and criticism degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft bachelor's program family: median debt $51,525, median earnings $39,775 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 2.48.
About 3.6% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $8,586 and median net price is $17,354.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$8,586 Median In-State Public
$42,432 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors are, on average, $8,586 for in-state public colleges, and $42,432 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 3 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 4 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,674 |
| 5 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,615 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Theatre Literature, History and Criticism programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 3 | Yuba College | CA | $1,128 |
| 4 | Lake Tahoe Community College | CA | $1,131 |
| 5 | El Camino Community College District | CA | $1,144 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 3 | Henry Ford College | MI | $660 |
| 4 | Chipola College | FL | $1,133 |
| 5 | College of the Mainland | TX | $1,342 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism is in GA (8 completions). That state represents about 50.0% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is GA (0.01% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA | 8 | 50.0% | 0.01% |
| IL | 5 | 31.2% | 0.00% |
| NY | 2 | 12.5% | 0.00% |
| ME | 1 | 6.2% | 0.01% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 50.05 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Acting CIP 50.0506
- Comedy Writing and Performance CIP 50.0511
- Costume Design CIP 50.0510
- Directing and Theatrical Production CIP 50.0507
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General CIP 50.0501
- Musical Theatre CIP 50.0509
- Playwriting and Screenwriting CIP 50.0504
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology CIP 50.0502
- Theatre and Dance CIP 50.0512
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 50.0505 in the survey year used in our extract (21 total across levels below).
- 16 Bachelor's (76.2% of IPEDS total)
- 5 Master's (23.8% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $244,416. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Theatre Literature, History and Criticism graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | $261,078 | 747,750 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $145,212 | 59,590 |
| Foreign Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,691 | 21,170 |
| History Teachers, Postsecondary | $134,221 | 19,860 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $129,630 | 11,430 |
| Anthropology and Archeology Teachers, Postsecondary | $126,897 | 5,260 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft CIP family (58 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Theatre Literature, History and Criticism graduate.
- $51,525 median federal loan debt among completers
- $39,775 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 2.48 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 3.6% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$244,416 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors is $244,416.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors.
Occupations by Share
865,060 2023 Workforce
The number of Theatre Literature, History and Criticism graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism.
Age distribution for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
16 Total Degrees Awarded
2 Male (12.50%)
14 Female (87.50%)
Gender distribution of Theatre Literature, History and Criticism degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
8 White (50.00%)
7 Black or African American (43.75%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Theatre Literature, History and Criticism degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Theatre Literature, History and Criticism field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Theatre Literature, History and Criticism majors.
About
A program that focuses on the study of the history, literature, theory, and analysis of written plays, theatrical productions, and theatre methods and organization. Includes instruction in historical method; critical theory; literary analysis; the study of themes and archetypes in dramatic literature; the history of acting, directing, and technical theatre; and the study of specific historical and cultural styles and traditions
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Theatre Literature, History and Criticism.
CIP Code
50.0505 - Theatre Literature, History and Criticism
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $51,525 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $39,775, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 2.48. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Theatre Literature, History and Criticism graduate.
Women earned 80.0% of 25 Theatre Literature, History and Criticism completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $244,416. The largest mapped role by headcount is Lawyers (747,750 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $8,586 in-state at public colleges and $42,432 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.