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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 2313

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 76 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$57,116 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.

$57,116Median year-4 earnings

$24,422Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

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

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$57,116Median reported earnings · year 4

$58,414Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

8thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

76Reporting programs

76With 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.

OPEN PROFILE

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 →CURRENT VIEW

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$50,651National median$57,11675th percentile$65,408

76 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$129,192 2University of North Texas$80,536 3Johns Hopkins University$79,084 4Carnegie Mellon University$78,716 5University at Albany$76,461 6Texas Tech University$75,064 7Boise State University$73,481 8San Diego State University$73,113 9Northeastern University$72,910 10Northeastern University Professional Programs$72,910

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	Saint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaMaster's Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$129,192	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,689
2	University of North TexasMaster's Degree	Denton, TX	$80,536	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,649
3	Johns Hopkins UniversityMaster's Degree	Baltimore, MD	$79,084	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,809
4	Carnegie Mellon UniversityMaster's Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$78,716	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,944
5	University at AlbanyMaster's Degree	Albany, NY	$76,461	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,167
6	Texas Tech UniversityMaster's Degree	Lubbock, TX	$75,064	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,070
7	Boise State UniversityMaster's Degree	Boise, ID	$73,481	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,610
8	San Diego State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Diego, CA	$73,113	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,364
9	Northeastern UniversityMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$72,910	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,915
10	Northeastern University Professional ProgramsMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$72,910	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
11	University of San FranciscoMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$71,471	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,431
12	New York UniversityMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$69,371	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,050
13	Kennesaw State UniversityMaster's Degree	Kennesaw, GA	$68,762	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,048
14	Towson UniversityMaster's Degree	Towson, MD	$68,342	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,413
15	The New SchoolMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$67,958	Not available	Baseline needed	$58,741
16	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusMaster's Degree	Teaneck, NJ	$67,441	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,404
17	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusMaster's Degree	Madison, NJ	$67,441	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,829
18	Savannah College of Art and DesignMaster's Degree	Savannah, GA	$66,625	Not available	Baseline needed	$49,430
19	University of Houston-DowntownMaster's Degree	Houston, TX	$66,115	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,542
20	Miami University-OxfordMaster's Degree	Oxford, OH	$65,408	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,384
21	Texas State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Marcos, TX	$65,348	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,805
22	Warren Wilson CollegeMaster's Degree	Swannanoa, NC	$65,232	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,249
23	Chapman UniversityMaster's Degree	Orange, CA	$65,144	Not available	Baseline needed	$46,555
24	George Mason UniversityMaster's Degree	Fairfax, VA	$62,682	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,915
25	Eastern Washington UniversityMaster's Degree	Cheney, WA	$62,225	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,886
26	San Francisco State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$62,221	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,278
27	CUNY Brooklyn CollegeMaster's Degree	Brooklyn, NY	$60,959	Not available	Baseline needed	$3,103
28	University of California, RiversideMaster's Degree	Riverside, CA	$60,371	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,304
29	The University of Texas at El PasoMaster's Degree	El Paso, TX	$59,922	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,403
30	DePaul UniversityMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$59,820	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,902
31	Bowling Green State University-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Bowling Green, OH	$59,450	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,022
32	North Carolina State University at RaleighMaster's Degree	Raleigh, NC	$59,425	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,303
33	Rutgers University-CamdenMaster's Degree	Camden, NJ	$58,664	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,745
34	Rutgers University-New BrunswickMaster's Degree	New Brunswick, NJ	$58,664	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,406
35	Rutgers University-NewarkMaster's Degree	Newark, NJ	$58,664	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,703
36	Columbia College ChicagoMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$57,240	Not available	Baseline needed	$26,598
37	Antioch University-Los AngelesMaster's Degree	Culver City, CA	$57,116	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
38	Antioch University-Santa BarbaraMaster's Degree	Santa Barbara, CA	$57,116	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
39	Antioch UniversityMaster's Degree	Yellow Springs, OH	$57,116	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
40	Northern Arizona UniversityMaster's Degree	Flagstaff, AZ	$56,638	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,158
41	Emerson CollegeMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$56,485	Not available	Baseline needed	$49,180
42	National Louis UniversityMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$55,948	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,641
43	Norwich UniversityMaster's Degree	Northfield, VT	$55,097	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,257
44	National UniversityMaster's Degree	San Diego, CA	$54,662	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,878
45	Fairfield UniversityMaster's Degree	Fairfield, CT	$54,424	Not available	Baseline needed	$48,095
46	Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$53,592	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,590
47	Liberty UniversityMaster's Degree	Lynchburg, VA	$53,516	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,357
48	Minnesota State University-MankatoMaster's Degree	Mankato, MN	$53,250	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,139
49	Lindenwood UniversityMaster's Degree	Saint Charles, MO	$53,095	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,638
50	Hamline UniversityMaster's Degree	Saint Paul, MN	$52,471	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,744
51	Arcadia UniversityMaster's Degree	Glenside, PA	$52,358	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,466
52	University of Southern MaineMaster's Degree	Portland, ME	$52,322	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,596
53	University of North Carolina WilmingtonMaster's Degree	Wilmington, NC	$52,194	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,109
54	University of Massachusetts-AmherstMaster's Degree	Amherst, MA	$51,558	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,383
55	The University of AlabamaMaster's Degree	Tuscaloosa, AL	$51,194	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,420
56	Sarah Lawrence CollegeMaster's Degree	Bronxville, NY	$51,084	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,437
57	University of New Hampshire-Main CampusMaster's Degree	Durham, NH	$50,777	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,805
58	Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts DevelopmentMaster's Degree	Santa Fe, NM	$50,651	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,570
59	Spalding UniversityMaster's Degree	Louisville, KY	$50,326	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,491
60	The University of TampaMaster's Degree	Tampa, FL	$50,292	Not available	Baseline needed	$36,211
61	Lesley UniversityMaster's Degree	Cambridge, MA	$50,236	Not available	Baseline needed	$31,152
62	University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree	Seattle, WA	$48,576	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,091
63	University of Washington-Bothell CampusMaster's Degree	Bothell, WA	$48,576	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,319
64	University of New OrleansMaster's Degree	New Orleans, LA	$48,203	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,384
65	Chatham UniversityMaster's Degree	Pittsburgh, PA	$48,110	Not available	Baseline needed	$29,954
66	Queens University of CharlotteMaster's Degree	Charlotte, NC	$47,447	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,857
67	Pacific UniversityMaster's Degree	Forest Grove, OR	$46,651	Not available	Baseline needed	$35,273
68	Full Sail UniversityMaster's Degree	Winter Park, FL	$44,962	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,875
69	University of IowaMaster's Degree	Iowa City, IA	$43,469	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,531
70	Portland State UniversityMaster's Degree	Portland, OR	$43,137	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,552
71	School of the Art Institute of ChicagoMaster's Degree	Chicago, IL	$42,100	Not available	Baseline needed	$49,790
72	Seton Hill UniversityMaster's Degree	Greensburg, PA	$42,032	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,204
73	University of Nevada-Las VegasMaster's Degree	Las Vegas, NV	$37,596	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,359
74	Wilkes UniversityMaster's Degree	Wilkes-Barre, PA	$37,334	Not available	Baseline needed	$27,743
75	California Institute of the ArtsMaster's Degree	Valencia, CA	$34,026	Not available	Baseline needed	$46,080
76	Goddard CollegeMaster's Degree	,	$46,000	Not available	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.