Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI · Bachelor's Degree · about 25 graduates a year

$33,401
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$56,662
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$48,471
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#39 of 137
Rank by pay
#22 of 137
Rank, wage-adjusted
$24,360
Median federal debt

Michigan State University graduates in rhetoric and composition/writing studies earn 17% more than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 43% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Michigan State University 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
…
36University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Greensburg, PA$57,012$57,982#28$35,700
37University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA$57,012$57,982#29$35,700
38University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA$57,012$57,982#30$35,700
39Michigan State University East Lansing, MI$56,662$59,743#22$33,401
40Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL$56,632$55,641#38—
41University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM$56,244$65,122#10$33,999
42University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO$55,361$51,773#58$34,339

Other Majors at Michigan State University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$116,905$86,192#60 of 459
Computer Engineering$104,627$83,934#101 of 189
Engineering$102,301$75,058#10 of 57
Chemical Engineering$102,223$79,023#38 of 158
Finance and Financial Management Services$102,017$68,103#45 of 452
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$100,481$83,874#99 of 258
Mechanical Engineering$97,946$80,259#53 of 318
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$97,236$69,443#30 of 126
Accounting and Related Services$96,093$65,965#73 of 796
Materials Engineering$95,761$78,276#8 of 34
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$95,387$74,518#14 of 43
Engineering-Related Fields$94,143$76,563#11 of 33
Statistics$93,930$63,649#21 of 50
Business Administration, Management and Operations$91,187$71,253#50 of 1176
Civil Engineering$90,650$72,048#51 of 233
Marketing$90,453$57,275#22 of 516
Agricultural Engineering$86,498$65,396#10 of 26
Human Resources Management and Services$85,886$56,501#17 of 187
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$80,129$75,081#707 of 966
Engineering$79,609$67,007#18 of 19
Economics$79,428$54,013#187 of 368
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$75,147——
International Relations and National Security Studies$74,709$38,810#29 of 118
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management$73,880$48,185#65 of 99
Non-Professional Legal Studies$72,414$33,752#6 of 39
Mathematics$72,226$47,951#138 of 309
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$71,158—#6 of 17
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions$70,940$47,202#64 of 93
Food Science and Technology$70,380$59,342#16 of 29
Hospitality Administration/Management$69,651$41,069#14 of 137

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Michigan State University rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $33,401 one year after graduating and $56,662 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Michigan State University rank for rhetoric and composition/writing studies?

Among 137 colleges reporting earnings for rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates, Michigan State University ranks #39 by median pay four years after graduation, and #22 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is rhetoric and composition/writing studies at Michigan State University worth it?

Its graduates earn 17% more than the national median for rhetoric and composition/writing studies ($48,471), and the median federal debt at graduation is $24,360.

← All data for Michigan State University · 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.