Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at University of Michigan-Flint

The small sample size here demands caution, but the immediate red flag is a $24,195 starting salary paired with nearly $28,000 in debt. That 1.15 debt ratio means graduates owe more than they'll earn in their entire first year—a challenging position for launching a writing career. While this program ranks at the 60th percentile among Michigan's writing programs, that's largely because the state median sits at this same level. The real comparison point is Oakland University and Michigan State, where writing graduates earn $34,000-plus, or about 40% more.

The debt load is actually favorable—landing in the 5th percentile nationally means 95% of similar programs leave students with more debt. That's genuine value on the financing side. However, the earnings gap is substantial: you're looking at roughly $4,200 less annually than the national median for this degree, and $7,000-10,000 less than top Michigan programs. For a family weighing options, the question becomes whether UM-Flint's specific advantages (location, smaller classes, or financial aid packages) offset that earnings differential.

If your child is committed to writing or rhetoric studies and UM-Flint offers significantly lower tuition than Ann Arbor or MSU, the controlled debt here matters. But if paying similar costs across schools, the salary data suggests looking at the state's higher-performing programs—the earnings gap compounds quickly over a career.