Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Missouri State University-Springfield

Missouri State's Writing Studies graduates earn nearly double what most students in this major typically make—$47,377 in the first year versus a national median of just $28,418. Within Missouri, this program dramatically outperforms every other option, sitting in the 95th percentile statewide. The closest competitor (Drury) produces graduates earning roughly half as much. While the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift, the gap is so substantial that it's hard to dismiss as statistical noise.

The debt load of $26,500 is manageable given these earnings, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about seven months of gross income. That's notably better than many bachelor's programs. The caveat is earnings stagnation: income barely budges from year one to year four, suggesting graduates find their ceiling quickly. Whether that's because they're already well-placed in their careers or because the field has limited advancement potential isn't clear from the data alone.

If your child wants to study writing and plans to stay in Missouri, this program delivers results that other in-state options simply don't match. Just understand they'll likely need to find advancement through job changes or additional credentials rather than organic salary growth.