Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Manhattanville University

Manhattanville's writing studies program comes with a significant caveat—the sample size is too small to draw confident conclusions—but the available numbers suggest a program struggling to justify its cost. First-year earnings of $26,779 land below the national median for writing programs yet above New York's state median, placing graduates in the 60th percentile statewide. That middling position matters less, however, when you're carrying $27,000 in debt on an income barely above the poverty line for a single person.

The debt level itself ranks exceptionally well (5th percentile nationally means lower than 95% of similar programs), but a 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio still creates real financial strain. Your child would be dedicating roughly 10% of gross income to loan payments for a decade, which severely limits their ability to afford rent in the New York metro area or build savings. Compare this to State University of New York at Oswego, where writing graduates earn $28,103—similar debt for meaningfully higher income—or even Columbia, where the $36,244 starting salary better absorbs higher education costs.

For a family considering this program, the central question is whether Manhattanville offers something specific—faculty mentorship, location advantages, smaller classes—that compensates for financial outcomes that lag behind SUNY alternatives. The 85% admission rate suggests this isn't a highly selective program where exclusivity adds credential value. Unless your child has compelling reasons to choose Manhattanville specifically, the public alternatives deliver better return on investment.