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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Most graduates Highest earnings

Bachelor's programs — top 100 of 392 colleges by graduates

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, New Hampshire580$30,0771 year out$39,888$33,490 2Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida244$23,4491 year out$31,734$41,000 3Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, Virginia171$35,7161 year out$53,896$26,000 4University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, Pennsylvania170$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 5Liberty UniversityLynchburg, Virginia146—1 year out——6University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, Minnesota139$38,4071 year out$57,881$22,375 7Western Washington UniversityBellingham, Washington115$27,1161 year out$38,281$18,064 8West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, Pennsylvania106—1 year out$60,550—9Emerson CollegeBoston, Massachusetts92$33,4411 year out$49,817$24,250 10Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, Arizona72$31,0061 year out—$26,186 11Miami University-OxfordOxford, Ohio71$42,2871 year out$53,086$23,750 12University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, Ohio70—1 year out$55,459—13University of New Mexico-Main CampusAlbuquerque, New Mexico68$33,9991 year out$48,122$14,363 14Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBowling Green, Ohio67$31,2181 year out$52,366$27,000 15Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, Washington67$27,8321 year out—$23,224 16University of California-RiversideRiverside, California66$21,7651 year out$38,017$20,000 17Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, Georgia63$31,4471 year out$43,489$25,000 18Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana61$25,0841 year out$43,184$20,038 19Clemson UniversityClemson, South Carolina53$43,5051 year out$70,941$23,250 20Arizona State University Digital ImmersionScottsdale, Arizona52$44,4111 year out$63,437$30,114 21University of ArizonaTucson, Arizona49$26,7151 year out$47,986$24,822 22Metropolitan State University of DenverDenver, Colorado46$39,5261 year out$56,872$19,998 23Columbia College ChicagoChicago, Illinois46$25,0601 year out$39,240$27,000 24Boise State UniversityBoise, Idaho45—1 year out—$21,032 25University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California42$44,5531 year out$69,742$14,037 26University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, California41$26,6361 year out$66,177$19,500 27Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown, Ohio40$31,7631 year out$39,088$26,169 28Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island39$30,7411 year out—$10,500 29Chapman UniversityOrange, California37$23,9391 year out$60,749—30Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, Michigan37$31,0161 year out$38,930$25,000 31James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, Virginia37—1 year out$68,972$22,714 32Weber State UniversityOgden, Utah36$36,2051 year out$46,871$21,398 33University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington36$29,7581 year out$42,372$17,872 34Western Michigan UniversityKalamazoo, Michigan35$21,4681 year out$38,111$27,000 35Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove, Pennsylvania35$19,7531 year out$43,685$27,000 36The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas35$38,7131 year out$61,896$21,323 37Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, New York33$36,2441 year out$67,649—38University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina33$24,2051 year out$40,978$27,000 39University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois32$24,2251 year out$47,544$23,250 40University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois31—1 year out——41Emory UniversityAtlanta, Georgia30$29,9091 year out$53,363$21,000 42Ithaca CollegeIthaca, New York29$26,4431 year out$38,514$25,000 43Binghamton UniversityVestal, New York29$24,3771 year out$58,435$20,500 44Portland State UniversityPortland, Oregon29—1 year out——45Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, Pennsylvania29$26,2421 year out$48,905$27,000 46Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, Michigan28$34,4641 year out$32,718$25,500 47University of South FloridaTampa, Florida27$35,6341 year out$54,382—48University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan27$31,2391 year out$50,559$13,999 49State University of New York at OswegoOswego, New York27$28,1031 year out$42,680$26,000 50Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, New York27$24,9351 year out—$27,000 51Oberlin CollegeOberlin, Ohio27$15,5011 year out—$26,487 52University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah27$47,9501 year out——53Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland26$43,5241 year out$62,703$13,728 54Baylor UniversityWaco, Texas26—1 year out—$19,000 55George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia26$40,1141 year out$65,410$23,250 56University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington26$29,7581 year out$42,372$17,872 57Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan25$33,4011 year out$62,048$25,750 58University of Central ArkansasConway, Arkansas23$27,3661 year out—$25,000 59Pratt Institute-MainBrooklyn, New York23$18,8421 year out—$26,000 60The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, Texas23—1 year out——61Colby CollegeWaterville, Maine22—1 year out——62Ohio University-Main CampusAthens, Ohio22$23,3991 year out—$26,500 63University of Central FloridaOrlando, Florida21$26,2821 year out—$22,676 64University of Pittsburgh-GreensburgGreensburg, Pennsylvania21$35,7001 year out$53,776$26,000 65University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, Virginia21—1 year out——66Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, Georgia20$28,4181 year out$30,561$26,000 67Knox CollegeGalesburg, Illinois20$15,4661 year out$31,169$26,976 68DePauw UniversityGreencastle, Indiana20$31,6401 year out$58,790$27,000 69Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity Center, Michigan20$23,2981 year out$38,608$30,432 70Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, Texas20$37,5481 year out$56,889$21,765 71Beloit CollegeBeloit, Wisconsin20$21,7201 year out$37,723$27,000 72University of IdahoMoscow, Idaho19$25,5741 year out—$26,650 73University of RochesterRochester, New York19—1 year out——74Loyola University New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana18—1 year out—$27,000 75Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, Michigan17$23,5081 year out$45,012$21,500 76University of St ThomasSaint Paul, Minnesota17—1 year out——77Truman State UniversityKirksville, Missouri17$16,5691 year out—$26,899 78Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, Missouri17—1 year out——79CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, New York17$20,2421 year out$38,415$19,500 80Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, Pennsylvania17$37,4461 year out$67,069$27,000 81San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California16$32,4311 year out$43,400$18,500 82University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, Colorado16$34,3391 year out$46,400$33,000 83Goucher CollegeBaltimore, Maryland16—1 year out——84Loyola University MarylandBaltimore, Maryland16$34,0131 year out—$27,000 85Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota16$39,5581 year out$50,935$26,680 86University of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode Island16$43,2671 year out$51,925$22,195 87Saint Edward's UniversityAustin, Texas16$31,5181 year out—$26,000 88University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle Rock, Arkansas15—1 year out——89Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota15$29,4871 year out—$20,000 90Hamilton CollegeClinton, New York15$28,4421 year out——91Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York15—1 year out——92University of Central OklahomaEdmond, Oklahoma15$25,2681 year out$44,382$21,917 93Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon15—1 year out——94Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, Pennsylvania15—1 year out$92,686—95Champlain CollegeBurlington, Vermont15$23,2371 year out$42,016$26,000 96Seattle UniversitySeattle, Washington15$32,6631 year out$31,966$24,500 97Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, Wisconsin15—1 year out$58,216$26,000 98Western Connecticut State UniversityDanbury, Connecticut14—1 year out$36,844—99Iowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa14—1 year out——100University of Maine at FarmingtonFarmington, Maine14—1 year out——

Associate programs — 48 colleges

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

1Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, Florida31$28,0901 year out—$34,757 2Liberty UniversityLynchburg, Virginia21—1 year out——3El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, Texas20—1 year out——4CUNY Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, New York17—1 year out——5Austin Community College DistrictAustin, Texas17$33,5141 year out$42,392$13,967 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 graduates

CollegeGrads / yearEarnings 1 yearEarnings 5 yearsDebt

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