Best Producer programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction.
28 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 560 people a year. The job pays a median of $65,900 in Virginia across about 2,820 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
5 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, Generalmain feeder CIP 50.0501In Virginia → | 279 | 49.8% | 25 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 2 | CIP 50.0602In Virginia → | 165 | 29.5% | 4 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 3 | CIP 50.0601In Virginia → | 61 | 10.9% | 5 | $25,014 | $24,650 |
| 4 | Musical Theatremain feeder CIP 50.0509In Virginia → | 28 | 5.0% | 3 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
| 5 | Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Othermain feeder CIP 50.0599In Virginia → | 27 | 4.8% | 2 | $20,667 | $24,994 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 7 of the 28 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 111 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $22,447 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 2 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 71 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | $20,512 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 3 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 68 | Cinematography and Film/Video Production | $23,989 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 4 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 55 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $24,306 | 80% | — | 72% |
| 5 | Mary Baldwin University Staunton, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 40 | Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | — | 39% | $18,500 | — |
| 6 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 7 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Musical Theatre | $17,818 | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 8 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | — | 33% | — | — |
| 9 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $36,557 | 86% | — | 55% |
| 10 | Hollins University Roanoke, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 19 | Film/Cinema/Media Studies | — | 65% | $21,981 | 68% |
| 11 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 46% | — | 90% |
| 12 | Radford University Radford, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | $20,666 | 49% | — | 90% |
| 13 | Randolph College Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 46% | $18,525 | 94% |
| 14 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 89% | — | 34% |
| 15 | Brightpoint Community College Chester, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 38% | — | — |
| 16 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 96% | — | 17% |
| 17 | Emory & Henry University Emory, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Musical Theatre | — | 56% | $20,446 | 84% |
| 18 | Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other | — | 33% | $23,606 | 96% |
| 19 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 20 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 21 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 57% | $19,488 | 43% |
| 22 | Hampton University Hampton, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 57% | $34,268 | 62% |
| 23 | Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 70% | $26,498 | 87% |
| 24 | Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 42% | $20,171 | 73% |
| 25 | Averett University Danville, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General | — | 48% | $23,171 | 57% |
All 28 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 111 | 2 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 71 | 3 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 68 | 2 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public | 55 | 1 |
| Mary Baldwin University | Staunton | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 2 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 3 |
| Shenandoah University | Winchester | Private not-for-profit | 30 | 2 |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale | Public | 29 | 1 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Hollins University | Roanoke | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 2 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | Public | 12 | 1 |
| Radford University | Radford | Public | 8 | 1 |
| Randolph College | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | Public | 7 | 1 |
| Brightpoint Community College | Chester | Public | 6 | 1 |
What producers and directors earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $90,360. Virginia pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Virginia
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Producers and Directors page.
How to become a Producer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Virginia
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 10 majors mapped to Producers and Directors10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 09.0701Radio and Television
- 50.0501Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- 50.0507Directing and Theatrical Production
- 50.0509Musical Theatre
- 50.0512Theatre and Dance
- 50.0599Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
- 50.0601Film/Cinema/Media Studies
- 50.0602Cinematography and Film/Video Production
- 50.0607Documentary Production
- 50.1004Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
Common questions
Answers for people weighing producers and directors programs in Virginia.
What degree do you need to become a Producer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, which awarded 279 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 49.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Producer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Film/Video and Photographic Arts. Together they graduate about 560 people a year in Virginia.
How much do producers and directors earn in Virginia?+
The median is $65,900 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 27.1% below the U.S. median of $90,360. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for producers and directors growing?+
BLS projects a +4.9% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 12,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Virginia?+
28 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do producers and directors work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Director, Producer, Casting Agent, News Director, News Producer, Program Manager among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-2012.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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