Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Taylor University

Taylor University's writing program graduates start behind their Indiana peers, earning about $3,000 less than the state median and landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. That gap matters when you consider that this is already a modest-earning field—the $25,471 first-year salary is barely above entry-level retail wages. The program does manage to keep debt lower than typical at $19,500 (well below the national median of $25,000), which means graduates aren't drowning in payments, but they're still navigating tight budgets early on.

The 37% earnings growth to nearly $35,000 by year four represents genuine progress, though it's worth noting this still trails what Wabash College writing graduates earn right out of the gate. For context, DePauw—another small Indiana liberal arts school—sees their writing majors earning $31,640 initially. The small sample size here (under 30 graduates tracked) means individual outcomes could vary significantly from these medians.

If your student is passionate about writing and committed to Taylor's Christian liberal arts environment, this program won't saddle them with crushing debt. But they should enter with realistic expectations: plan on grad school, a strategic minor, or deliberate networking to boost those entry-level prospects. The low starting salary is the real challenge, not the debt load.