Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Brown University

Brown's elite admissions standards—just 5% acceptance with near-perfect test scores—create expectations that the $30,741 first-year earnings don't quite meet. While this beats the national median for writing programs by about $2,300, it falls well short of what Rhode Island students typically achieve: the state median sits at $37,004, and URI graduates in this field earn $43,267. Among the seven RI schools offering this program, Brown ranks in just the 25th percentile for earnings outcomes.

The silver lining is manageable debt. At $10,500, Brown's writing graduates carry less than half the typical burden for this major ($25,000 nationally, $16,348 in Rhode Island). That low debt load translates to a very workable 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio. For context, Brown's family resources—only 13% of students receive Pell grants—likely mean many graduates aren't relying heavily on loans to begin with.

The fundamental question: does Brown's brand justify paying Ivy League prices (even with relatively low borrowing) for outcomes that trail in-state competitors? Writing careers often start slowly, and Brown's network and alumni connections may drive longer-term value that first-year earnings don't capture. But if your child is choosing between Brown and URI for this major, the data suggests URI delivers stronger immediate returns—and presumably at a much lower total cost of attendance.