Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies

Drury's Writing Studies program posts first-year earnings of $24,127—about $4,300 below the national program median but exactly matching Missouri's state median. That 60th percentile state ranking means this program outperforms most writing programs in Missouri, though the comparison feels hollow when Missouri State's graduates earn nearly double at $47,377. The debt load of $23,094 is modest enough that the nearly 1-to-1 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable in absolute terms, even if the low starting salary raises questions about career trajectory.

The critical caveat here is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could swing dramatically year to year. That small cohort also makes it hard to assess whether graduates are finding writing-related work or simply taking whatever jobs are available post-graduation. The high Pell grant percentage (59%) suggests the university serves students who may be particularly vulnerable to underemployment.

For parents, the question isn't whether this program looks good on paper—it doesn't, especially compared to the in-state alternative at Missouri State. The question is whether your student has specific career plans where a writing degree provides clear value, and whether Drury's continuing professional studies format offers flexibility they need. Without that compelling reason, the earnings gap is too significant to ignore.