How much do Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates from University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus earn?

The reported median is $63,139 four years after completion.

How much federal debt do graduates of this program have?

The reported median federal debt among borrowers is $26,698.

Is this program above or below similar programs?

Reported year-four earnings are 13% above the national median for the same field and degree level.

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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies undergraduate certificate or diploma at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA · 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.

$7,164 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings: 42.3% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff: $136,390 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff: Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data: College-wide context only

OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

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

+67%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$43,896 → $73,249

Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

38Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort

63Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median

49Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median

Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential

177Recent 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.

125Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment

51Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers

40Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count

86Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count

Preliminary federal earnings benchmarkNot availableInformational preview, not a final accountability result

Observed year-4 earnings$63,139A like-for-like comparison is unavailable

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.

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$30,434

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

02 · BORROWING$26,698

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$63,139

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$283/mo

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.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$30,434Institution-wide annual figure

COST OF ATTENDANCE$38,105Institution-wide annual budget

ADMISSION RATE58.1%Institution context

COMPLETION RATE85.5%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.

$43,896Year 1

$63,139Year 4

$73,249Year 5

CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

5.4% of gross monthly earnings

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

Gross monthly earnings$5,262

Estimated loan payment$283

49borrowers represented where reported

HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$63,139 vs. $55,975

$7,164 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$80,670 median wagePA estimate · 2,530 jobs · 25-1123$63,200–$102,840 middle 50% of PA wages+0.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeWriters and Authors$77,410 median wagePA estimate · 1,080 jobs · 27-3043$54,030–$102,480 middle 50% of PA wages-0.3% projected U.S. growth · 11,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEditors$63,460 median wagePA estimate · 3,240 jobs · 27-3041$46,530–$87,770 middle 50% of PA wages-1.1% projected U.S. growth · 7,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePostsecondary Teachers, All Other$65,400 median wagePA estimate · 12,100 jobs · 25-1199$35,770–$104,910 middle 50% of PA wages+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 12,500 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeTechnical Writers$87,620 median wagePA estimate · 1,330 jobs · 27-3042$71,980–$105,300 middle 50% of PA wages+0.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,200 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeProofreaders and Copy Markers$47,510 median wagePA estimate · 230 jobs · 43-9081$44,280–$66,150 middle 50% of PA wages-0.9% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree

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.

Iowa City, IA

University of Iowa

$1,836 less debt · $7,903 lower annual net price

Earnings: $46,614
Debt: $24,862
Annual net price: $22,531

View outcomes →

University Center, MI

Delta College

$25,887 lower annual net price

Earnings: $44,564
Debt: Not available
Annual net price: $4,547

View outcomes →

Compare these programs →

DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

63 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.

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