Bachelor's · West Chester, Pennsylvania
Is Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back slowly: graduates typically recover the cost in about 10.4 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $50,196
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- Not enough graduates to report
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $19,500
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $105k (likely $105k – $133k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $13k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 10.4 years (likely 7.7–16.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$163k (likely −$233k – −$110k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- −$25k (likely −$145k – $96k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 68%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at other schools
🎬 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward media & storytelling majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP English Language and Composition
- AP English Literature and Composition
- AP Seminar
IB Higher Level
- Language A: Literature HL or Language and Literature HL
- Film HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$147,635
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate certificate)$123,422
- Public Administration (Doctoral)$109,792
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's)$98,013
- Statistics (Master's)$90,891
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$79,752
- Human Resources Management and Services (Master's)$71,522
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate certificate)$71,023
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$70,142
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$69,380
- Psychology, General (Master's)$66,610
- Public Health (Master's)$65,118
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Carnegie Mellon University$71,205
- University of Pittsburgh-Bradford$57,012
- University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg$57,012
- University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$57,012
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$57,012
- Kutztown University of Pennsylvania$47,530
- Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania$43,607
- Arcadia University$41,441
- Susquehanna University$40,989