Best Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

110

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$310,156

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$36,869

Cost of attendance

#	College	State	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Grad rate: 27.4%	AZ	+$130,586	$50,562	N/A	$30,114	Full ROI →
2	Carnegie Mellon University Grad rate: 92.0%	PA	+$103,124	$63,259	$80,514	N/A	Full ROI →
3	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Grad rate: 67.4%	AZ	+$18,398	$50,562	$28,047	$30,114	Full ROI →
4	West Chester University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 70.7%	PA	+$12,304	$48,127	$27,559	N/A	Full ROI →
5	Clemson University Grad rate: 86.6%	SC	+$9,096	$50,923	$34,494	$23,250	Full ROI →
6	George Mason University Grad rate: 69.9%	VA	-$16,135	$48,157	$26,972	$23,250	Full ROI →
7	Metropolitan State University of Denver Grad rate: 29.5%	CO	-$18,837	$46,973	$22,825	$19,998	Full ROI →
8	The University of Texas at Arlington Grad rate: 55.1%	TX	-$27,132	$46,872	$25,265	$17,417	Full ROI →
9	James Madison University Grad rate: 81.0%	VA	-$28,875	$48,132	$30,213	$22,714	Full ROI →
10	Michigan State University Grad rate: 81.9%	MI	-$31,754	$48,256	$30,528	$25,750	Full ROI →
11	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Grad rate: 52.5%	IL	-$43,472	$45,680	$29,268	N/A	Full ROI →
12	Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 50.8%	PA	-$54,490	$46,994	$29,480	$27,000	Full ROI →
13	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Grad rate: 84.6%	MN	-$68,558	$45,885	$29,013	$22,375	Full ROI →
14	University of North Texas Grad rate: 59.2%	TX	-$89,502	$43,930	$25,470	$19,424	Full ROI →
15	University of Wisconsin-Stout Grad rate: 52.2%	WI	-$107,002	$42,796	$21,618	$27,000	Full ROI →
16	The University of Texas at Austin Grad rate: 87.7%	TX	-$116,174	$43,599	$29,842	$21,323	Full ROI →
17	Texas State University Grad rate: 56.0%	TX	-$141,574	$41,660	$26,348	$21,765	Full ROI →
18	University at Albany Grad rate: 64.7%	NY	-$148,220	$40,287	$28,490	N/A	Full ROI →
19	St. Joseph's University-New York Grad rate: 66.6%	NY	-$156,085	$43,813	$39,254	$26,170	Full ROI →
20	Oglethorpe University Grad rate: 55.5%	GA	-$159,580	$47,775	$59,320	$28,000	Full ROI →
21	New Mexico State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 51.6%	NM	-$162,740	$38,049	$20,930	N/A	Full ROI →
22	University of Nebraska at Kearney Grad rate: 56.8%	NE	-$167,708	$38,505	$24,452	N/A	Full ROI →
23	Old Dominion University Grad rate: 46.2%	VA	-$169,020	$40,740	$27,180	$26,000	Full ROI →
24	Elizabethtown College Grad rate: 76.6%	PA	-$173,762	$44,998	$49,318	$27,000	Full ROI →
25	University of South Florida Grad rate: 74.4%	FL	-$177,104	$37,605	$22,301	N/A	Full ROI →
26	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Grad rate: 93.2%	MI	-$181,178	$40,555	$33,345	$13,999	Full ROI →
27	University of California-Berkeley Grad rate: 93.5%	CA	-$184,321	$42,273	$42,708	$14,037	Full ROI →
28	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Grad rate: 51.0%	PA	-$185,804	$40,165	$28,501	$26,000	Full ROI →
29	University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Grad rate: 39.1%	PA	-$185,856	$40,165	$28,514	$26,000	Full ROI →
30	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Grad rate: 42.5%	PA	-$189,752	$40,165	$29,488	$26,000	Full ROI →
31	CUNY Brooklyn College Grad rate: 55.8%	NY	-$189,837	$36,539	$13,573	$19,500	Full ROI →
32	Texas Tech University Grad rate: 67.1%	TX	-$198,653	$39,013	$27,472	$21,500	Full ROI →
33	California State University-Los Angeles Grad rate: 52.0%	CA	-$202,517	$36,216	$17,153	$13,500	Full ROI →
34	Weber State University Grad rate: 42.6%	UT	-$210,235	$36,167	$16,172	$21,398	Full ROI →
35	Missouri State University-Springfield Grad rate: 57.8%	MO	-$212,443	$37,971	$24,022	$26,500	Full ROI →
36	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Grad rate: 62.1%	OH	-$213,662	$38,987	$29,238	$27,000	Full ROI →
37	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Grad rate: 84.0%	PA	-$218,628	$40,165	$36,707	$26,000	Full ROI →
38	Utah State University Grad rate: 55.8%	UT	-$220,520	$35,184	$21,050	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Elmhurst University Grad rate: 64.4%	IL	-$223,463	$42,762	$51,829	$23,250	Full ROI →
40	East Tennessee State University Grad rate: 52.4%	TN	-$226,148	$35,882	$25,947	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Southwest Minnesota State University Grad rate: 42.1%	MN	-$229,796	$34,990	$22,399	N/A	Full ROI →
42	Metropolitan State University Grad rate: 35.5%	MN	-$232,606	$37,382	$26,057	$26,680	Full ROI →
43	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Grad rate: 52.1%	NM	-$235,122	$35,408	$20,973	$14,363	Full ROI →
44	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Grad rate: 71.8%	OH	-$247,452	$35,384	$28,783	N/A	Full ROI →
45	Columbus State University Grad rate: 42.6%	GA	-$249,472	$33,517	$19,953	N/A	Full ROI →
46	DePauw University Grad rate: 79.6%	IN	-$252,090	$45,730	$72,560	$27,000	Full ROI →
47	Texas Southern University Grad rate: 22.5%	TX	-$260,636	$33,948	$24,899	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Grad rate: 55.3%	PA	-$263,854	$36,405	$28,876	$27,000	Full ROI →
49	Rhode Island College Grad rate: 45.0%	RI	-$267,780	$32,309	$18,490	N/A	Full ROI →
50	San Francisco State University Grad rate: 52.2%	CA	-$293,827	$33,609	$25,258	$18,500	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Degrees by State

Browse Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.