Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA · Bachelor's Degree · about 115 graduates a year

$27,116
Median pay 1 year after graduating
$38,460
Median pay 4 years after graduating
$48,471
National median for this major (4 yrs)
#125 of 137
Rank by pay
#130 of 137
Rank, wage-adjusted
$17,604
Median federal debt

Western Washington University graduates in rhetoric and composition/writing studies earn 21% less than the national median for the same major four years after graduating. Their median federal debt equals about 46% of one year’s pay at that point.

How Western Washington 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
…
122University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA$38,871$35,753#128$22,251
123University of Kentucky Lexington, KY$38,822$43,958#86—
124SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY$38,562$36,703#127$20,455
125Western Washington University Bellingham, WA$38,460$35,375#130$27,116
126University of Evansville Evansville, IN$38,198$40,979#106—
127University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE$37,986$39,260#113$26,360
128University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC$37,968$40,745#107$24,205

Other Majors at Western Washington University by Graduate Pay

Major4 yrs after1 yr afterRank in major
Computer and Information Sciences$110,138$68,219#80 of 459
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$107,131$77,516#44 of 258
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$96,695$80,808#174 of 966
Polymer/Plastics Engineering$92,439$60,375#2 of 6
Manufacturing Engineering$85,314$65,863#13 of 15
Accounting and Related Services$82,246$60,048#227 of 796
Management Information Systems and Services$81,678$61,668#83 of 166
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$77,048$42,025#21 of 110
Finance and Financial Management Services$75,730$51,984#247 of 452
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management—$72,675—
Business Administration, Management and Operations$71,886$53,402#318 of 1176
Sustainability Studies$70,793$41,600#3 of 17
Design and Applied Arts$69,715$31,078#18 of 299
Marketing$69,323$43,375#200 of 516
Applied Mathematics$68,359—#40 of 45
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$67,208$36,802#32 of 138
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$65,380$26,557#38 of 225
Special Education and Teaching$64,780$52,912#9 of 177
Economics$64,123$45,401#328 of 368
International Business$63,923$38,412#93 of 115
Physics$63,833—#101 of 107
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$63,072$42,795#22 of 345
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$62,500$53,133#14 of 680
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$61,802$19,512#66 of 215
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$58,622$39,225#28 of 35
Journalism$57,697$34,119#74 of 187
Communication and Media Studies$56,415$34,857#260 of 660
Chemistry$55,793$48,527#184 of 209
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies$54,290$34,119#22 of 63
Sociology$54,263$33,039#184 of 462

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Western Washington University rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates make?

Graduates earn a median $27,116 one year after graduating and $38,460 four years after graduating. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

How does Western Washington University rank for rhetoric and composition/writing studies?

Among 137 colleges reporting earnings for rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates, Western Washington University ranks #125 by median pay four years after graduation, and #130 after adjusting for state wage levels.

Is rhetoric and composition/writing studies at Western Washington University worth it?

Its graduates earn 21% less than the national median for rhetoric and composition/writing studies ($48,471), and the median federal debt at graduation is $17,604.

← All data for Western Washington 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.