Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates earn a median of $29,027 within two years of graduation, ranking #239 out of 292 tracked majors — 18% below the median across all fields. There are 150 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 7,443 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: University of Houston-Downtown graduates earn $49,683 while Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus graduates earn $13,085 — a $36,598 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is moderate: Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates see an average 9% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

150
Schools
$29,027
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#239
of 292 Majors
7,443
Graduates

Public vs Private: Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

Public (88 schools)
$29,538
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (59 schools)
$28,305
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools produce comparable or higher early earnings for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, often at lower tuition — making them strong value options for this major.

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies by State

New York
14 schools
$27,247
Pennsylvania
13 schools
$33,206
California
12 schools
$28,398
Texas
11 schools
$33,789
Michigan
11 schools
$26,582
Illinois
8 schools
$30,276
Minnesota
7 schools
$29,240
Ohio
7 schools
$27,774

Top Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
U

University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, TX · Public

$49,683
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 90.6%
#2
W

Wabash College

Crawfordsville, IN · Private

$49,058
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 62.8%
#3
T

The University of Texas at Arlington

Arlington, TX · Public

$43,319
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,912
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 81.3%
#4
C

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA · Private

$42,682
2yr Earnings
1yr: $39,593
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 11.4%
#5
M

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO · Public

$42,276
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,230
Grads: 87
Acceptance: 99.1%
#6
B

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

$41,565
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 32.0%
#7
M

Missouri State University-Springfield

Springfield, MO · Public

$41,193
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,643
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 91.0%
#8
M

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Public

$40,945
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,915
Grads: 62
Acceptance: 83.9%
#9
B

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · Private

$40,368
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 35.3%
#10
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$39,909
2yr Earnings
1yr: $23,653
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 10.0%
#11
G

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA · Public

$39,729
2yr Earnings
1yr: $39,051
Grads: 273
Acceptance: 88.8%
#12
C

Clemson University

Clemson, SC · Public

$39,489
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,156
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 38.0%
#13
L

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD · Private

$39,009
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,906
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 76.3%
#14
S

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, PA · Public

$38,721
2yr Earnings
1yr: $32,435
Grads: 48
Acceptance: 85.5%
#15
U

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$38,498
2yr Earnings
1yr: $36,615
Grads: 272
Acceptance: 77.0%
#16
U

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Public

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr: $41,090
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 11.7%
#17
I

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL · Private

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr: $21,386
Grads: 23
Acceptance: 74.7%
#18
S

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,472
Grads: 37
Acceptance: 90.4%
#19
U

University of Michigan-Flint

Flint, MI · Public

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr: $12,883
Grads: 17
Acceptance: 68.8%
#20
J

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA · Public

$38,289
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,673
Grads: 55
Acceptance: 76.3%
#21
W

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, PA · Public

$38,072
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,949
Grads: 112
Acceptance: 79.2%
#22
U

University of North Texas

Denton, TX · Public

$37,808
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,474
Grads: 114
Acceptance: 72.5%
#23
T

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX · Public

$37,671
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,997
Grads: 178
Acceptance: 29.1%
#24
A

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$37,568
2yr Earnings
1yr: $49,391
Grads: 60
Acceptance: 90.2%
#25
A

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ · Public

$37,568
2yr Earnings
1yr: $49,391
Grads: 60
Acceptance: 64.1%
#26
N

North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private

$36,848
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 58.3%
#27
D

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN · Private

$36,745
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,533
Grads: 33
Acceptance: 54.1%
#28
B

Baylor University

Waco, TX · Private

$36,668
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 51.0%
#29
T

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX · Public

$36,282
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,230
Grads: 110
Acceptance: 89.5%
#30
U

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL · Public

$35,740
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,029
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 41.0%
#31
U

University of Pittsburgh-Bradford

Bradford, PA · Public

$34,793
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,776
Grads: 303
Acceptance: 90.8%
#32
U

University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg

Greensburg, PA · Public

$34,793
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,776
Grads: 303
Acceptance: 97.9%
#33
U

University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown

Johnstown, PA · Public

$34,793
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,776
Grads: 303
Acceptance: 95.9%
#34
U

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA · Public

$34,793
2yr Earnings
1yr: $33,776
Grads: 303
Acceptance: 49.7%
#35
B

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH · Public

$34,603
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,450
Grads: 170
Acceptance: 80.6%
#36
O

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA · Private

$34,526
2yr Earnings
1yr: $37,564
Grads: 20
Acceptance: 60.1%
#37
U

Utah State University

Logan, UT · Public

$34,526
2yr Earnings
1yr: $31,121
Grads: 64
Acceptance: 93.6%
#38
W

Weber State University

Ogden, UT ·

$34,348
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,497
Grads: 32
Acceptance: N/A
#39
E

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL · Private

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,891
Grads: 37
Acceptance: 75.7%
#40
M

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH · Public

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr: $34,290
Grads: 86
Acceptance: 82.1%
#41
K

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, PA · Public

$33,993
2yr Earnings
1yr: $23,816
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 94.8%
#42
S

St. Joseph's University-New York

Brooklyn, NY · Private

$33,565
2yr Earnings
1yr: $28,201
Grads: 77
Acceptance: 71.4%
#43
T

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX · Public

$33,382
2yr Earnings
1yr: $38,427
Grads: 66
Acceptance: 70.9%
#44
U

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO · Public

$32,925
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,612
Grads: 43
Acceptance: 77.8%
#45
C

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

$32,925
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 4.2%
#46
H

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY · Private

$32,925
2yr Earnings
1yr: $19,101
Grads: 16
Acceptance: 11.8%
#47
C

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$32,569
2yr Earnings
1yr: $29,809
Grads: 262
Acceptance: 91.9%
#48
J

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD · Private

$32,569
2yr Earnings
1yr: $35,359
Grads: 37
Acceptance: 7.6%
#49
E

Emerson College

Boston, MA · Private

$32,021
2yr Earnings
1yr: $30,525
Grads: 148
Acceptance: 47.5%
#50
S

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, NH · Private

$32,021
2yr Earnings
1yr: $26,207
Grads: 240
Acceptance: 96.1%

Showing top 50 of 150 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General $29,203 Physical Sciences, Other $29,116 English Language and Literature, General $29,058 Sociology and Anthropology $29,022 Natural Sciences $29,014 Bible/Biblical Studies $28,805

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies?
University of Houston-Downtown ranks #1 for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies with median graduate earnings of $49,683 within two years. There are 150 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates earn?
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates earn an average of $29,027 within two years of graduation. This is 18% below the median across all majors. Earnings range from $13,085 to $49,683 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies program?
The average acceptance rate across Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies programs is 72.2%. The most selective program is at Columbia University in the City of New York with a 4.2% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies?
Private Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies programs average $28,305 in early earnings vs $29,538 at public schools. Public schools offer competitive earnings at typically lower cost, making them strong value options.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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