Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

8,389 students earn a rhetoric and composition/writing studies credential each year across 505 US colleges. Earnings below are the median for each school's graduates one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at completion.

Typical earnings, 1 year out: $28,418
Typical earnings, 5 years out: $47,989

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Highest earnings Most graduates

Bachelor's programs — top 100 of 392 colleges by graduate earnings

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, Indiana11$50,4461 year out—$27,000 2University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah27$47,9501 year out——3Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, Missouri13$47,3771 year out$50,032$26,500 4University of North TexasDenton, Texas—$45,0151 year out$56,151$19,424 5University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California42$44,5531 year out$69,742$14,037 6Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale, Arizona52$44,4111 year out$63,437$30,114 7Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona9$44,4111 year out$63,437$30,114 8Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland26$43,5241 year out$62,703$13,728 9Clemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina53$43,5051 year out$70,941$23,250 10University of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode Island16$43,2671 year out$51,925$22,195 11Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio71$42,2871 year out$53,086$23,750 12George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia26$40,1141 year out$65,410$23,250 13Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, Texas11$39,9431 year out$58,424$21,500 14Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota16$39,5581 year out$50,935$26,680 15Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, Colorado46$39,5261 year out$56,872$19,998 16The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas35$38,7131 year out$61,896$21,323 17University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota139$38,4071 year out$57,881$22,375 18The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, Texas—$37,8831 year out$66,592$17,417 19Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Texas20$37,5481 year out$56,889$21,765 20Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, Pennsylvania17$37,4461 year out$67,069$27,000 21Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York33$36,2441 year out$67,649—22Weber State UniversityOgden, Utah36$36,2051 year out$46,871$21,398 23University of Nebraska at KearneyKearney, Nebraska13$35,7261 year out$47,989—24Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, Virginia171$35,7161 year out$53,896$26,000 25University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania170$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 26University of Pittsburgh-GreensburgGreensburg, Pennsylvania21$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 27University of Pittsburgh-JohnstownJohnstown, Pennsylvania13$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 28University of Pittsburgh-BradfordBradford, Pennsylvania2$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 29University of South FloridaTampa, Florida27$35,6341 year out$54,382—30University of Wisconsin-StoutMenomonie, Wisconsin10$35,4231 year out$50,892$27,000 31Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan28$34,4641 year out$32,718$25,500 32University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, Colorado16$34,3391 year out$46,400$33,000 33California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtArcata, California0$34,3091 year out$52,626$16,500 34Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, Maryland16$34,0131 year out—$27,000 35University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, New Mexico68$33,9991 year out$48,122$14,363 36Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, Illinois13$33,5561 year out$54,045$23,250 37Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, Pennsylvania11$33,4761 year out—$23,083 38Emerson CollegeBoston, Massachusetts92$33,4411 year out$49,817$24,250 39Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan25$33,4011 year out$62,048$25,750 40Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, California13$33,2281 year out—$24,027 41St. Joseph's University-New YorkBrooklyn, New York—$33,2051 year out$62,254$26,170 42Seattle UniversitySeattle, Washington15$32,6631 year out$31,966$24,500 43San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California16$32,4311 year out$43,400$18,500 44Oglethorpe UniversityAtlanta, Georgia0$32,4151 year out$51,839$28,000 45Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, Ohio40$31,7631 year out$39,088$26,169 46DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana20$31,6401 year out$58,790$27,000 47Saint Edward's UniversityAustin, Texas16$31,5181 year out—$26,000 48Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, Georgia63$31,4471 year out$43,489$25,000 49University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan27$31,2391 year out$50,559$13,999 50Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, Ohio67$31,2181 year out$52,366$27,000 51Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan37$31,0161 year out$38,930$25,000 52Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, Arizona72$31,0061 year out—$26,186 53Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island39$30,7411 year out—$10,500 54Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, New Hampshire580$30,0771 year out$39,888$33,490 55Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia30$29,9091 year out$53,363$21,000 56University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington36$29,7581 year out$42,372$17,872 57University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington26$29,7581 year out$42,372$17,872 58Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota15$29,4871 year out—$20,000 59California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California0$28,7251 year out$54,514$13,500 60Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York15$28,4421 year out——61Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia20$28,4181 year out$30,561$26,000 62State University of New York at OswegoOswego, New York27$28,1031 year out$42,680$26,000 63Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, Washington67$27,8321 year out—$23,224 64Arcadia UniversityGlenside, Pennsylvania9$27,3901 year out—$27,000 65University of Central ArkansasConway, Arkansas23$27,3661 year out—$25,000 66Western Washington UniversityBellingham, Washington115$27,1161 year out$38,281$18,064 67Lipscomb UniversityNashville, Tennessee—$26,9941 year out—$19,500 68Manhattanville UniversityPurchase, New York14$26,7791 year out—$27,000 69University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona49$26,7151 year out$47,986$24,822 70Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan13$26,6371 year out——71University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California41$26,6361 year out$66,177$19,500 72Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown, Pennsylvania0$26,5341 year out$52,248$27,000 73Ithaca CollegeIthaca, New York29$26,4431 year out$38,514$25,000 74University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, Nebraska11$26,3601 year out—$24,825 75University of Central FloridaOrlando, Florida21$26,2821 year out—$22,676 76Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, Pennsylvania29$26,2421 year out$48,905$27,000 77University of IdahoMoscow, Idaho19$25,5741 year out—$26,650 78The University of TampaTampa, Florida10$25,5101 year out—$21,000 79Taylor UniversityUpland, Indiana4$25,4711 year out$44,149$19,500 80Stephen F Austin State UniversityNacogdoches, Texas11$25,2921 year out$39,004$21,726 81University of Central OklahomaEdmond, Oklahoma15$25,2681 year out$44,382$21,917 82Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana61$25,0841 year out$43,184$20,038 83Columbia College ChicagoChicago, Illinois46$25,0601 year out$39,240$27,000 84Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, New York27$24,9351 year out—$27,000 85Binghamton UniversityVestal, New York29$24,3771 year out$58,435$20,500 86University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois32$24,2251 year out$47,544$23,250 87University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina33$24,2051 year out$40,978$27,000 88University of Michigan-FlintFlint, Michigan10$24,1951 year out$52,556$27,875 89Drury UniversitySpringfield, Missouri8$24,1271 year out—$23,094 90Drury University-College of Continuing Professional StudiesSpringfield, Missouri—$24,1271 year out—$23,094 91Chapman UniversityOrange, California37$23,9391 year out$60,749—92Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan17$23,5081 year out$45,012$21,500 93Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida244$23,4491 year out$31,734$41,000 94Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio22$23,3991 year out—$26,500 95Ohio University-Southern CampusIronton, Ohio1$23,3991 year out—$26,500 96Ohio University-Lancaster CampusLancaster, Ohio1$23,3991 year out—$26,500 97Ohio University-Eastern CampusSaint Clairsville, Ohio0$23,3991 year out—$26,500 98Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusChillicothe, Ohio0$23,3991 year out—$26,500 99Ohio University-Zanesville CampusZanesville, Ohio0$23,3991 year out—$26,500 100Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan20$23,2981 year out$38,608$30,432

Associate programs — 48 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Austin Community College DistrictAustin, Texas17$33,5141 year out$42,392$13,967 2Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida31$28,0901 year out—$34,757 3Liberty UniversityLynchburg, Virginia21—1 year out——4El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, Texas20—1 year out——5CUNY Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, New York17—1 year out——6Normandale Community CollegeBloomington, Minnesota11—1 year out——7Nassau Community CollegeGarden City, New York11—1 year out——8Sinclair Community CollegeDayton, Ohio9—1 year out——9Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, Ohio9—1 year out——10Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, Wisconsin9—1 year out——11Long Beach City CollegeLong Beach, California8—1 year out——12Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan8—1 year out——13College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada8—1 year out——14Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, Utah8—1 year out——15Chandler-Gilbert Community CollegeChandler, Arizona8—1 year out——16Mesa Community CollegeMesa, Arizona7—1 year out——17Chabot CollegeHayward, California7—1 year out——18Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey, California7—1 year out——19Lansing Community CollegeLansing, Michigan7—1 year out——20St Charles Community CollegeCottleville, Missouri7—1 year out——21SUNY AdirondackQueensbury, New York6—1 year out——22Tompkins Cortland Community CollegeDryden, New York6—1 year out——23Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, Arizona5—1 year out——24Grossmont CollegeEl Cajon, California5—1 year out——25Cayuga County Community CollegeAuburn, New York5—1 year out——26Reading Area Community CollegeReading, Pennsylvania5—1 year out——27Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, Massachusetts4—1 year out——28Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, Massachusetts4—1 year out——29North Hennepin Community CollegeBrooklyn Park, Minnesota4—1 year out——30Santa Fe Community CollegeSanta Fe, New Mexico4—1 year out——31Onondaga Community CollegeSyracuse, New York4—1 year out——32Eastern Arizona CollegeThatcher, Arizona3—1 year out——33Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, California3—1 year out——34Monroe Community CollegeRochester, New York3—1 year out——35Berkeley City CollegeBerkeley, California2—1 year out——36Southwestern Michigan CollegeDowagiac, Michigan2—1 year out——37Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, Michigan2—1 year out——38Finger Lakes Community CollegeCanandaigua, New York2—1 year out——39Del Mar CollegeCorpus Christi, Texas2—1 year out——40Estrella Mountain Community CollegeAvondale, Arizona2—1 year out——41University of Phoenix-ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona2—1 year out$39,080$25,250 42Phoenix CollegePhoenix, Arizona1—1 year out——43Scottsdale Community CollegeScottsdale, Arizona1—1 year out——44Taylor UniversityUpland, Indiana1—1 year out——45Delaware County Community CollegeMedia, Pennsylvania1—1 year out——46Hill CollegeHillsboro, Texas1—1 year out——47Temple CollegeTemple, Texas1—1 year out——48Warren County Community CollegeWashington, New Jersey1—1 year out——

Certificate programs — top 100 of 108 colleges by graduate earnings

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania56$43,8961 year out$73,249$26,698 2Boise State UniversityBoise, Idaho10$31,1481 year out——3University of IowaIowa City, Iowa—$29,6471 year out$46,070$24,862 4Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania5$24,9511 year out$54,801—5Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMarietta, Georgia714—1 year out$42,763—6Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffin, Georgia434—1 year out——7The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas79—1 year out——8Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida75—1 year out——9Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, Michigan40—1 year out——10Rowan UniversityGlassboro, New Jersey40—1 year out——11Columbus Technical CollegeColumbus, Georgia39—1 year out——12Lanier Technical CollegeGainesville, Georgia33—1 year out——13Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner Robins, Georgia33—1 year out——14Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRome, Georgia28—1 year out——15University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio28—1 year out——16Washington State UniversityPullman, Washington25—1 year out——17College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, Illinois24—1 year out——18University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania23—1 year out——19University of Missouri-St LouisSaint Louis, Missouri19—1 year out——20Missouri State University-SpringfieldSpringfield, Missouri18—1 year out——21University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia16—1 year out——22Boston UniversityBoston, Massachusetts14—1 year out——23University of North DakotaGrand Forks, North Dakota14—1 year out——24East Carolina UniversityGreenville, North Carolina12—1 year out——25University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona11—1 year out——26Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, Colorado11—1 year out——27University at BuffaloBuffalo, New York11—1 year out——28University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, Massachusetts10—1 year out——29Utah Valley UniversityOrem, Utah10—1 year out——30Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, Pennsylvania9—1 year out——31Delta CollegeUniversity Center, Michigan8—1 year out$41,751—32Utah Tech UniversitySaint George, Utah8—1 year out——33University of Alaska AnchorageAnchorage, Alaska7—1 year out——34Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, Arizona7—1 year out——35City College of San FranciscoSan Francisco, California7—1 year out——36Georgia Piedmont Technical CollegeClarkston, Georgia7—1 year out——37Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, Pennsylvania7—1 year out——38Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, Ohio6—1 year out——39Austin Community College DistrictAustin, Texas6—1 year out——40University of Wisconsin-ParksideKenosha, Wisconsin6—1 year out——41Arizona State University Campus ImmersionTempe, Arizona5—1 year out——42Cypress CollegeCypress, California5—1 year out——43Grossmont CollegeEl Cajon, California5—1 year out——44Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, Florida5—1 year out——45Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan5—1 year out——46Community College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania5—1 year out——47Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, Texas5—1 year out——48Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, Utah5—1 year out——49University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah5—1 year out——50Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, Virginia5—1 year out——51Monterey Peninsula CollegeMonterey, California4—1 year out——52Montgomery CollegeRockville, Maryland4—1 year out——53University of Michigan-DearbornDearborn, Michigan4—1 year out——54Minnesota State College SoutheastWinona, Minnesota4—1 year out——55North Dakota State University-Main CampusFargo, North Dakota4—1 year out——56Sinclair Community CollegeDayton, Ohio4—1 year out——57East Stroudsburg University of PennsylvaniaEast Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania4—1 year out——58Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, California3—1 year out——59Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand Junction, Colorado3—1 year out——60Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeValdosta, Georgia3—1 year out——61Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, Michigan3—1 year out——62Anoka-Ramsey Community CollegeCoon Rapids, Minnesota3—1 year out——63Inver Hills Community CollegeInver Grove Heights, Minnesota3—1 year out——64Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, Minnesota3—1 year out——65Park UniversityParkville, Missouri3—1 year out——66Santa Fe Community CollegeSanta Fe, New Mexico3—1 year out——67St. John Fisher UniversityRochester, New York3—1 year out——68University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina3—1 year out——69Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, Pennsylvania3—1 year out——70Northampton County Area Community CollegeBethlehem, Pennsylvania3—1 year out——71Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah3—1 year out——72Weber State UniversityOgden, Utah3—1 year out——73St Charles Community CollegeCottleville, Missouri3—1 year out——74Mesa Community CollegeMesa, Arizona2—1 year out——75Cerritos CollegeNorwalk, California2—1 year out——76Indiana University-EastRichmond, Indiana2—1 year out——77Normandale Community CollegeBloomington, Minnesota2—1 year out——78Minot State UniversityMinot, North Dakota2—1 year out——79Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio2—1 year out——80Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, Pennsylvania2—1 year out——81Thiel CollegeGreenville, Pennsylvania2—1 year out——82University of South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota2—1 year out——83Auburn University at MontgomeryMontgomery, Alabama1—1 year out——84Spring Hill CollegeMobile, Alabama1—1 year out——85Glendale Community CollegeGlendale, Arizona1—1 year out——86Orange Coast CollegeCosta Mesa, California1—1 year out——87Berkeley City CollegeBerkeley, California1—1 year out——88Connecticut State Community CollegeNew Britain, Connecticut1—1 year out——89Jacksonville UniversityJacksonville, Florida1—1 year out——90North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesville, Georgia1—1 year out——91University of Southern MainePortland, Maine1—1 year out——92University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, Missouri1—1 year out——93Missouri Southern State UniversityJoplin, Missouri1—1 year out——94Northwest Missouri State UniversityMaryville, Missouri1—1 year out——95Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri1—1 year out——96State University of New York at PlattsburghPlattsburgh, New York1—1 year out——97University of Mount OliveMount Olive, North Carolina1—1 year out——98University of Cincinnati-Clermont CollegeBatavia, Ohio1—1 year out——99Wright State University-Main CampusDayton, Ohio1—1 year out——100Linfield UniversityMcMinnville, Oregon1—1 year out——

US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (4-digit CIP). Graduates are conferrals in the most recent IPEDS year; earnings cover federally-aided completers who are working and not enrolled; medians for small programs are privacy-suppressed (—).