Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA · Bachelor's Degree · about 42 graduates a year

$44,553
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$69,373
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$48,471
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#5 of 137
Rank by pay
#17 of 137
Rank, wage-adjusted
$13,000
Median federal debt

University of California-Berkeley graduates in rhetoric and composition/writing studies earn 43% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 19% of one year’s pay at that point.

How University of California-Berkeley Compares for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies

All 137 colleges reporting rhetoric and composition/writing studies earnings at this degree level, ranked by median pay four years after graduation. “Wage-adjusted” divides pay by the square root of the state’s wage index so colleges in low-wage states aren’t penalized for local pay.

#College4 yrs afterWage-adjustedAdj. rank1 yr after
1University of Richmond University Of Richmond, VA$81,253$73,988#2—
2University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT$75,686$71,733#5$47,950
3Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA$71,205$72,416#4—
4Iowa State University Ames, IA$69,673$73,287#3—
5University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA$69,373$63,125#17$44,553
6Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY$68,522$65,219#9—
7The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX$68,314$69,455#7$38,713
8Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN$67,607$64,579#12—
9Clemson University Clemson, SC$67,102$74,406#1$43,505
10Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN$65,605$70,382#6$50,446

Other Majors at University of California-Berkeley by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer Science$204,379$149,866#9 of 349
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$200,543$137,295#2 of 258
Business Administration, Management and Operations$144,599$90,008#4 of 1176
Operations Research$138,883$88,685—
Economics$135,050$80,446#14 of 368
Statistics$133,986$83,227#4 of 50
Chemical Engineering$121,027$81,553#3 of 158
Cognitive Science$120,193$64,559#4 of 19
Mechanical Engineering$119,371$88,497#5 of 318
Applied Mathematics$118,414$71,814#7 of 45
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$110,597$73,348#9 of 118
Civil Engineering$108,548$78,142#1 of 233
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$103,546$50,706#1 of 49
Social Sciences$101,138$61,109#1 of 35
Physics$96,043$50,219#13 of 107
Astronomy and Astrophysics$90,943$54,746—
Computer and Information Sciences—$88,030—
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies$87,791$45,461#8 of 207
Chemistry$82,386$59,576#11 of 209
Mathematics$80,654$46,674#82 of 309
Nutrition Sciences$79,391$35,161#1 of 53
Biology$79,163$36,642#27 of 841
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$78,624$47,338#4 of 265
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$76,724$25,059#4 of 90
Architecture$76,679$50,917#7 of 78
Public Health$76,572$48,351#13 of 215
Urban Studies/Affairs$76,125$58,171#3 of 30
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$75,715$40,818#14 of 225
Communication and Media Studies$75,612$43,696#21 of 660
Political Science and Government$75,128$45,418#65 of 565

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do University of California-Berkeley rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $44,553 one year after graduating and $69,373 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does University of California-Berkeley rank for rhetoric and composition/writing studies?

Among 137 colleges reporting earnings for rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates, University of California-Berkeley ranks #5 by median pay four years after graduation, and #17 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is rhetoric and composition/writing studies at University of California-Berkeley worth it?

Its graduates earn 43% more than the national median for rhetoric and composition/writing studies ($48,471), and the median federal debt at graduation is $13,000.

← All data for University of California-Berkeley · Methodology

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled; programs with few graduates are not reported. Wage adjustment uses Census ACS state median household income.