---

Writing Studies

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 23.1301 - 23.1399.

Types of Degrees Writing Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Writing Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	90
Associate’s Degree	351
Bachelor’s Degree	5,962
Master’s Degree	6,318
Doctor’s Degree	146

What Writing Studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in Writing Studies emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Writing Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Writing Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Writing Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Writing Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Writing Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Writing Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Writing Studies graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Developmental Reading Instructor
• Reading Instructor
• English Faculty Member
• English Adjunct Instructor
• Humanities Professor
• Creative Writing Teacher
• English Lecturer
• Seventeenth-Century English Literature Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Writing Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	38.1%
Master’s degree	21.3%
Bachelor’s degree	14.0%
Some college courses	8.1%
Less than a high school diploma	7.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.6%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
First professional degree	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Writing Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 71.6% of Writing Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9,209	71.6%
Men	3,660	28.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Writing Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8,038	62.5%
Asian	468	3.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,579	12.3%
Black or African American	1,306	10.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	59	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	12	0.1%
Two or More Races	566	4.4%
Race Unknown	478	3.7%
International Students	363	2.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Writing Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Writing Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,712
4 years	$44,745
5 years	$51,958

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,958 — roughly 50% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Writing Studies Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Writing Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	14	7
Bachelor’s	24	27
Master’s	42	24
Doctoral (Research)	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Writing Studies Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Writing Studies graduates earn a median of $44,745 four years after completion — roughly 18% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
English Language Literature	48,926
English Language and Literature, General	34,210
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other	1,064
Literature	783
Creative Writing	—
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS	—
English Literature (British and Commonwealth)	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.