Home
Majors
English
Rhetoric & Composition

HUMANITIES Specialization

Rhetoric & Composition

Rhetoric & Composition graduates earn $48,471 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $32,167 and $67,306. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.

Explore Program

About Rhetoric & Composition

This page covers Rhetoric & Composition as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of English and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Rhetoric & Composition is a focused area of study within English. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $48,471 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 766 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 13,176 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.

Median Earnings · 1yr: $28,418
Median Earnings · 4yr: $48,471
Colleges Offering: 766
Graduates / Year: 13,176
Avg Net Price / yr: $26,721

How Much Do Rhetoric & Composition Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Rhetoric & Composition, a typical graduate earns $48,471, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $32,167 and $67,306, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $28,418 at one year out to $48,471 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$28,418

1 Year After Graduation

Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.

$48,471

4-Year National Median

Below average for bachelor's degree holders.

$47,141

4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.

Earnings Range

Not every Rhetoric & Composition graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.

$32,167 25th pct.

$48,471 Median

$67,306 75th pct.

Understanding the Cost vs. Return

At median 4-year earnings of $48,471 and an estimated $106,884 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 5.8 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.

Based on outcomes from 506 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 13,176 students who complete Rhetoric & Composition programs each year, the majority (54%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

54% 37%

Bachelor's 54%

Master's 37%

Post-Bacc Cert. 4%

What Can You Do With a Rhetoric & Composition Degree?

This degree does not lock you into one job. Rhetoric & Composition graduates show up in 4 different occupations, and Technical Writers pay the most at $90,390/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.

The best-paid of these is what Technical Writers earn and how fast those roles are growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.

↗ +0.8% Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Technical Writers

$90,390

$71K $116K 25th–75th pct.

Bachelor's degree 3,200 openings/yr 46K employed nationally

Writing Reading Comprehension Active Listening Speaking Critical Thinking

Day-to-day responsibilities

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.

Organize material and complete writing assignment according to set standards regarding order, clarity, conciseness, style, and terminology.
Maintain records and files of work and revisions.
Edit, standardize, or make changes to material prepared by other writers or establishment personnel.

↗ +0.0% Zone 5: Extensive preparation

English Language and Literature Teachers

$78,760

$61K $103K 25th–75th pct.

Doctoral or professional degree 4,500 openings/yr 58K employed nationally

Reading Comprehension Instructing Writing Speaking Learning Strategies

Day-to-day responsibilities

Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Teach writing or communication classes.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.

↘ -1.1% Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Editor

$77,920

$57K $106K 25th–75th pct.

Bachelor's degree 7,900 openings/yr 92K employed nationally

Reading Comprehension Writing Active Listening Critical Thinking Speaking

Day-to-day responsibilities

Plan, coordinate, revise, or edit written material. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication.

Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.
Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication, and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.

↘ -0.3% Zone 4: Considerable preparation

Writer & Author

$76,910

$58K $102K 25th–75th pct.

Bachelor's degree 11,900 openings/yr 48K employed nationally

Writing Writing Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Active Listening

Day-to-day responsibilities

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.

Develop advertising campaigns for a wide range of clients, working with an advertising agency's creative director and art director to determine the best way to present advertising information.
Vary language and tone of messages based on product and medium.
Present drafts and ideas to clients.

Top Colleges for Rhetoric & Composition

Not sure where to study Rhetoric & Composition? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Southern New Hampshire University, and the rest follow the same measures.

#	College	Graduates	Acceptance	Net Price/yr	Earnings 10yr
1	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH · Nonprofit	879	99.5%	$36,708	$50,318
2	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA · Nonprofit	253	99%	$29,357	$44,813
3	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA · Public	187	90.4%	$14,638	$54,914
4	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA · Public	174	58.1%	$30,434	$66,125
5	Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Nonprofit	166	4%	$21,590	$102,491
6	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD · Nonprofit	159	6.4%	$18,809	$87,555
7	Emerson College Boston, MA · Nonprofit	159	51.3%	$49,180	$62,832
8	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public	150	79.8%	$16,778	$69,020
9	Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Bowling Green, OH · Public	128	81%	$24,022	$47,896
10	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA · Public	122	93.3%	$21,193	$62,569
11	West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA · Public	118	78.4%	$23,331	$61,258
12	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public	115	76.4%	$14,304	$67,699
13	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	105	85.3%	$25,648	$54,810
14	The New School New York, NY · Nonprofit	102	63.5%	$58,741	$52,901
15	Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO · Nonprofit	96	56.8%	$19,638	$53,278
16	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH · Public	86	75.4%	$28,384	$55,076
17	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM · Public	84	95.2%	$15,489	$44,792
18	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · Public	80	83.6%	$22,531	$64,762
19	Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL · Nonprofit	75	89.5%	$26,598	$42,195
20	New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit	74	9.2%	$37,050	$82,509

View all colleges

Ranked by Rhetoric & Composition graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Rhetoric & Composition program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

College ROI Calculator

See if a Rhetoric & Composition degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.

College Cost Calculator

Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.

Compare Colleges

Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.

College Match Quiz

Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.

Rhetoric & Composition Degree: Pros & Cons

Rhetoric & Composition carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 3 strengths and 4 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.

PROS

Strong salary growth Median earnings climb from $28,418 at graduation to $48,471 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Strong hiring volume Related occupations generate more than 27,500 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availability Offered at 766 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.

CONS

Modest median earnings Four-year median of $48,471 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expected Top roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas 2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
High earnings variance Gap between 25th ($32,167) and 75th ($67,306) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.

Rhetoric & Composition Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Rhetoric & Composition graduates earn?

$48,471 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $32,167 and $67,306, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the starting salary for a Rhetoric & Composition degree?

$28,418 in the first year out. That grows to $48,471 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.

What jobs can you get with a Rhetoric & Composition degree?

Technical Writers are one path, and it pays a median of $90,390 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.

How long does a Rhetoric & Composition program take?

Four years of full-time study for a Rhetoric & Composition bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.

How many colleges offer Rhetoric & Composition?

766 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.

Is a Rhetoric & Composition degree worth it?

$48,471 median earnings four years out against $26,721 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the difference between Rhetoric & Composition and English?

Rhetoric & Composition is the narrower of the two: English covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Rhetoric & Composition-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.

What skills do employers look for in Rhetoric & Composition graduates?

Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Rhetoric & Composition graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.

What is the job outlook for Rhetoric & Composition graduates?

Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average -0.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Technical Writers are among the strongest-growth roles at +0.8%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.