Writing Studies

Types of Degrees Writing Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many writing studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,697
Graduate Certificate	437
Doctor’s Degree	129

What Writing Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, writing majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Writing Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in writing should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Writing Majors

writing majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Writing Majors

A major in writing will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Writing Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with writing:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170
English Language and Literature Professors	9.8%	$66,590
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Professors	9.4%	$65,660
Technical Writers	10.9%	$71,850

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Writing Studies?

Writing Studies runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #49 out of all the graduate majors we track. In 2021, about 3,694 graduates completed their master’s degree in this field. This major is dominated by women with about 69% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of writing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	123
Black or African American	313
Hispanic or Latino	376
White	2,341
International Students	136
Other Races/Ethnicities	408

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Writing, too. About 3.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• India
• United Kingdom

How Much Do Writing Studies Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in writing was $37,580 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,374 (25th percentile) and $44,214 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a writing degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Writing majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $73,090 to $76,990 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Writing Studies

Some careers associated with writing require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to writing have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.3%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	3.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.4%
Some College Courses	7.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	8.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	42.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	12.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.5%
Doctoral Degree	16.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Writing Studies Programs

In 2020-2021, 742 schools offered a writing program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	24	4
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	66	9
Bachelor’s Degree	104	23
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	336	38
Post-Master’s	14	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	34	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Writing Studies Worth It?

The median salary for a writing grad is $75,500 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 89% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $712,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Writing Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to writing.

Major	Number of Grads
General English Literature	4,966
English Literature (Other)	175
Literature	162

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By KOKUYO under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.