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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies bachelor's degree at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are notably above similar programs.

$8,161 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−50% · Negative payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$56,632 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not available → $60,920
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
29Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
37Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

Not reportedStudents receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
Not reportedFederal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
35Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$56,632$21,824 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$13,297

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$56,632

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →
AVERAGE NET PRICE$13,297Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$28,329Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE86.9%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE62.4%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

Not availableYear 1
$56,632Year 4
$60,920Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$4,719
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$56,632 vs. $48,471

$8,161 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$77,570 median wageIL estimate · 2,570 jobs · 25-1123$51,090–$102,600 middle 50% of IL wages+0.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEditors$76,060 median wageIL estimate · 4,560 jobs · 27-3041$62,370–$100,750 middle 50% of IL wages-1.1% projected U.S. growth · 7,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeWriters and Authors$68,220 median wageIL estimate · 2,640 jobs · 27-3043$43,440–$97,280 middle 50% of IL wages-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 11,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$59,590 median wageIL estimate · 990 jobs · 25-1199$31,200–$76,790 middle 50% of IL wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 12,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeTechnical Writers$88,700 median wageIL estimate · 1,040 jobs · 27-3042$73,140–$106,650 middle 50% of IL wages+0.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeProofreaders and Copy Markers$50,060 median wageIL estimate · 300 jobs · 43-9081$37,770–$59,350 middle 50% of IL wages-0.9% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS

Where graduates work five years later

The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.

01

Educational Services

about 30.7%
02

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 10.1%
03

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 10.1%
04

Retail Trade

about 8.5%
05

Finance and Insurance

about 7.1%

How to read this: This is an observed industry mix, not a list of job titles or proof that every graduate worked in the field studied. Counts and shares are approximate because Census privacy protections add statistical noise.

Coverage is limited to institutions and states participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program. These figures do not affect DegreeVerdict ROI calculations.

Download the official Census source file →
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco State University

$2,400 higher earnings · $1,019 lower annual net price

Earnings
$59,032
Debt
$18,500
Annual net price
$12,278
View outcomes →
University of Richmond, VA

University of Richmond

$24,621 higher earnings

Earnings
$81,253
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$31,309
View outcomes →
Salt Lake City, UT

University of Utah

$19,054 higher earnings

Earnings
$75,686
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$16,200
View outcomes →
Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University

$14,573 higher earnings

Earnings
$71,205
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$31,944
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

37 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →