Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 23.13. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,305 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 190 | 2,177 | $39,278 | $55,975 | $21,562 6 programs |
| Associate's degree | 74 | 351 | $27,917 | $38,641 | $36,338 1 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 526 | 5,962 | $35,087 | $48,471 | $22,374 88 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 20 | 0 | $56,033 | $62,260 | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 329 | 3,793 | $45,729 | $55,035 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 38 | 146 | $68,340 | $78,692 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 126 | 440 | $56,158 | $64,611 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creative Circus · Private, for-profit · 21 graduates measured | $73,838 | $98,182 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 45 graduates measured | $51,072 | $63,139 | $23,000 |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $41,963 | $46,614 | $20,124 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH · Public · 16 graduates measured | $36,724 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Cincinnati-Clermont College OH · Public · 16 graduates measured | $36,724 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Central Michigan University MI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $32,503 | Data unavailable | $27,519 |
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 48 graduates measured | $26,148 | Data unavailable | $15,406 |
| Boise State University ID · Public · 16 graduates measured | $21,677 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Sail University FL · Private, for-profit · 48 graduates measured | $21,509 | $36,220 | $36,338 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 39 graduates measured | $57,788 | $69,373 | $12,500 |
| Wabash College IN · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $57,243 | $65,605 | Data unavailable |
| Missouri State University-Springfield MO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $54,647 | $54,917 | Data unavailable |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $54,123 | $61,159 | $23,000 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 91 graduates measured | $54,078 | $61,676 | $25,954 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 91 graduates measured | $54,078 | $61,676 | $25,954 |
| Texas State University TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $51,405 | $58,484 | Data unavailable |
| Clemson University SC · Public · 36 graduates measured | $50,374 | $67,102 | $20,500 |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $50,101 | $53,436 | Data unavailable |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver CO · Public · 92 graduates measured | $49,666 | $58,918 | $21,906 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 32 graduates measured | $49,298 | $68,314 | $16,000 |
| University of Chicago IL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $47,906 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 26 graduates measured | $47,809 | $56,662 | Data unavailable |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 205 graduates measured | $47,736 | $60,415 | $19,500 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania PA · Public · 132 graduates measured | $46,732 | Data unavailable | $22,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 20 graduates measured | $62,412 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $82,459 | $129,192 | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 29 graduates measured | $72,272 | $59,425 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 75 graduates measured | $70,466 | $79,084 | Data unavailable |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $69,636 | $78,716 | Data unavailable |
| Wilkes University PA · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $67,443 | $37,334 | Data unavailable |
| Towson University MD · Public · 19 graduates measured | $64,186 | $68,342 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $63,210 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lesley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $61,802 | $50,236 | Data unavailable |
| University at Albany NY · Public · 28 graduates measured | $58,490 | $76,461 | Data unavailable |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus NJ · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $58,327 | $67,441 | Data unavailable |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus NJ · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $58,327 | $67,441 | Data unavailable |
| Middle Georgia State University GA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $58,006 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY City College NY · Public · 31 graduates measured | $57,386 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Hunter College NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $57,311 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Texas Tech University TX · Public · 16 graduates measured | $56,842 | $75,064 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern New Hampshire University NH · Private, nonprofit · 61 graduates measured | $40,081 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| English language and literature teachers, postsecondary | $78,760 | 0.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Technical writers | $90,390 | +0.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Writers and authors | $76,910 | -0.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Proofreaders and copy markers | $51,120 | -0.9% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (5)
- 23.1301 Writing, General
- 23.1302 Creative Writing
- 23.1303 Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
- 23.1304 Rhetoric and Composition
- 23.1399 Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other