Median earnings of rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates (master's degree) one year after graduation, at 71 colleges. National median: $46,554, rising to $57,116 after four years.
| # | College | State | Earnings after 1 yr | After 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|
| 1 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | PA | $82,459 | $129,192 | — |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $72,272 | $59,425 | — |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $70,466 | $79,084 | $38,050 |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | $69,636 | $78,716 | — |
| 5 | Wilkes University | PA | $67,443 | $37,334 | $41,000 |
| 6 | Towson University | MD | $64,186 | $68,342 | — |
| 7 | Drexel University | PA | $63,210 | — | $41,000 |
| 8 | Lesley University | MA | $61,802 | $50,236 | — |
| 9 | University at Albany | NY | $58,490 | $76,461 | — |
| 10 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | NJ | $58,327 | $67,441 | $37,868 |
| 11 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus | NJ | $58,327 | $67,441 | $37,868 |
| 12 | Middle Georgia State University | GA | $58,006 | — | — |
| 13 | CUNY City College | NY | $57,386 | $76,882 | $44,415 |
| 14 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | $57,311 | — | — |
| 15 | Texas Tech University | TX | $56,842 | $75,064 | — |
| 16 | Norwich University | VT | $55,884 | $55,097 | $41,000 |
| 17 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | $55,786 | $56,638 | $41,000 |
| 18 | George Mason University | VA | $55,121 | $62,682 | — |
| 19 | Oregon State University | OR | $54,424 | $51,897 | — |
| 20 | Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | OR | $54,424 | $51,897 | — |
| 21 | Regis University | CO | $53,541 | — | — |
| 22 | Temple University | PA | $51,412 | — | — |
| 23 | Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | OH | $51,349 | $59,450 | — |
| 24 | The New School | NY | $51,299 | $67,958 | $41,000 |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst | MA | $50,700 | $51,558 | — |
| 26 | Kennesaw State University | GA | $50,475 | $68,762 | — |
| 27 | Texas State University | TX | $48,574 | $65,348 | $32,560 |
| 28 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $48,535 | $53,592 | $74,821 |
| 29 | San Diego State University | CA | $48,289 | $73,113 | $35,265 |
| 30 | Columbia College Chicago | IL | $47,989 | $57,240 | $61,500 |
| 31 | Western Colorado University | CO | $47,828 | — | $41,000 |
| 32 | Antioch University-Los Angeles | CA | $47,252 | $57,116 | $41,000 |
| 33 | Antioch University-Santa Barbara | CA | $47,252 | $57,116 | $41,000 |
| 34 | Antioch University | OH | $47,252 | $57,116 | $41,000 |
| 35 | Spalding University | KY | $46,851 | $50,326 | $48,908 |
| 36 | Hamline University | MN | $46,554 | $52,471 | $41,000 |
| 37 | Boise State University | ID | $46,258 | $73,481 | — |
| 38 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | $46,180 | — | $65,600 |
| 39 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $46,076 | $48,576 | — |
| 40 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | WA | $46,076 | $48,576 | — |
| 41 | New York University | NY | $45,970 | $69,371 | $37,140 |
| 42 | Savannah College of Art and Design | GA | $45,946 | $66,625 | — |
| 43 | University of Southern Maine | ME | $45,915 | $52,322 | $57,135 |
| 44 | Rutgers University-Camden | NJ | $45,680 | $58,664 | — |
| 45 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $45,680 | $58,664 | — |
| 46 | Rutgers University-Newark | NJ | $45,680 | $58,664 | — |
| 47 | Arcadia University | PA | $45,278 | $52,358 | $31,172 |
| 48 | Emerson College | MA | $44,786 | $56,485 | $57,896 |
| 49 | National University | CA | $44,497 | $54,662 | — |
| 50 | Chatham University | PA | $44,439 | $48,110 | $37,300 |
| 51 | Seton Hill University | PA | $44,432 | $42,032 | $53,144 |
| 52 | Lindenwood University | MO | $43,733 | $53,095 | $41,000 |
| 53 | University of California-Riverside | CA | $43,711 | $60,371 | $75,721 |
| 54 | Chapman University | CA | $42,864 | $65,144 | — |
| 55 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | $42,811 | $50,777 | — |
| 56 | University of Denver | CO | $41,867 | — | $48,708 |
| 57 | Liberty University | VA | $41,833 | $53,516 | $31,262 |
| 58 | DePaul University | IL | $41,174 | $59,820 | $40,750 |
| 59 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | NC | $41,002 | $52,194 | — |
| 60 | California State University-Fresno | CA | $39,524 | — | — |
| 61 | Full Sail University | FL | $39,397 | $44,962 | $40,527 |
| 62 | University of New Orleans | LA | $39,390 | $48,203 | $38,182 |
| 63 | Universidad del Sagrado Corazon | PR | $39,345 | — | $11,334 |
| 64 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | NE | $38,359 | $63,727 | $42,838 |
| 65 | Queens University of Charlotte | NC | $37,346 | $47,447 | $49,691 |
| 66 | San Francisco State University | CA | $36,516 | $62,221 | $66,596 |
| 67 | University of Nevada-Las Vegas | NV | $34,953 | $37,596 | — |
| 68 | Sarah Lawrence College | NY | $33,497 | $51,084 | $41,000 |
| 69 | Saint Mary's College of California | CA | $31,133 | $48,966 | — |
| 70 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $28,455 | $70,964 | — |
| 71 | University of Iowa | IA | $27,972 | $43,469 | — |
Earnings are median annual earnings of graduates who received federal financial aid, measured by the U.S. Department of Education. Colleges with too few graduates are not shown.
Frequently asked questions
How much do rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates earn?
The median college reports $46,554 in earnings one year after a master's degree in rhetoric and composition/writing studies and $57,116 four years after. The highest is $82,459 at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia.
How much student debt do rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for this degree is about $41,000 at the typical college.