Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
English Language & Literature
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $44,564 | $31,148 to $46,614 | 5 | 60% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,374 | $39,915 to $56,662 | 137 | 83% |
| Master's Degree | $55,522 | $49,821 to $65,363 | 76 | 95% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth -0% (2025 to 2035), about 41,100 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary Teachers, All Other | $77,640 | +2% | 12,500 |
| Writers and Authors | $76,910 | -0.3% | 11,900 |
| Editors | $77,920 | -1.1% | 7,900 |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary | $78,760 | +0% | 4,500 |
| Technical Writers | $90,390 | +0.8% | 3,200 |
| Proofreaders and Copy Markers | $51,120 | -0.9% | 1,100 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a rhetoric and composition/writing studies program, of 627 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Chattahoochee Technical College
- Full Sail University
- Southern Crescent Technical College
- Liberty University
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
- Old Dominion University
- Columbia University in the City of New York
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.