Location: Oakland, CA•In-State Tuition: $63,949•Admission Rate: 17%•Avg SAT: 1472
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$40,950
Est. from CA median (9 programs)

Compare to Similar Programs in California

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies masters's programs at peer institutions in California (30 total in state)

SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Northeastern University OaklandOakland$63,949$40,950*———
Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles$48,132$70,010*———
University of San FranciscoSan Francisco$58,222$51,069*———
National UniversitySan Diego$13,320$43,910*$45,258——
San Diego State UniversitySan Diego$8,290$41,328*———
Chapman UniversityOrange$62,784$40,950*$54,337——
National Median—$41,249*———
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with rhetoric and composition/writing studies graduates

Technical Writers

Write technical materials, such as equipment manuals, appendices, or operating and maintenance instructions. May assist in layout work.

$91,670/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in English language and literature, including linguistics and comparative literature. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Editors

Plan, coordinate, or edit content of material for publication. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication. Includes technical editors.

$75,260/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Writers and Authors

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other material.

$72,270/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Copy Writers

Write advertising copy for use by publication or broadcast media to promote sale of goods and services.

$72,270/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers

Create original written works, such as scripts, essays, prose, poetry or song lyrics, for publication or performance.

$72,270/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

All postsecondary teachers not listed separately.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Read transcript or proof type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Includes proofreaders of Braille.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 9 similar programs in CA. Actual outcomes may vary.