Home›Majors›Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2313

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: is this undergraduate certificate or diploma worth it?

National picture across 4 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$54,877 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$54,877Median year-4 earnings

$19,171Average institution net-price context

$26,698Median federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$54,877Median reported earnings · year 4

$65,924Average reported earnings · year 5

$26,698Median federal debt

56thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

4Reporting programs

4With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

CURRENT VIEW

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $54,877
Federal debt: $26,698
Reporting programs: 4

4 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $46,418
Federal debt: $25,250
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $47,141
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 153

137 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $57,116
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 76

76 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $68,788
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $65,582
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$44,564National median$54,87775th percentile$63,139

4 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$63,139 2University of Iowa$46,614 3Delta College$44,564

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

EditorsSOC 27-3041 · 5 crosswalk linksEnglish Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1123 · 5 crosswalk linksWriters and AuthorsSOC 27-3043 · 5 crosswalk linksPostsecondary Teachers, All OtherSOC 25-1199 · 4 crosswalk linksProofreaders and Copy MarkersSOC 43-9081 · 2 crosswalk linksTechnical WritersSOC 27-3042 · 2 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION/WRITING STUDIES

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Pittsburgh, PA	$63,139	$26,698	Baseline needed	$30,434
2	University of IowaUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	Iowa City, IA	$46,614	$24,862	Baseline needed	$22,531
3	Delta CollegeUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	University Center, MI	$44,564	Not available	Baseline needed	$4,547
4	The Creative CircusUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma	,	$98,182	$29,334	Baseline needed	Not available

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.