MAJORS · 52 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a rhetoric & writing studies degree worth it?
Part of English, Liberal Arts, and Humanities — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$219,754. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$219,754
across 175 bachelor’s programs · 14,141 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$202K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$31K ⟷ +$460K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
30.4%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$117K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$119K
Questions
- Is a rhetoric & writing studies degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 175 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Rhetoric & Writing Studies is +$219,754 and the median is +$202,298. 30.4% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$30,582 and +$459,771.
- How long until a rhetoric & writing studies degree pays off?
- Among Rhetoric & Writing Studies programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 35 (FREOPP 2021). 30.4% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a rhetoric & writing studies major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Rhetoric & Writing Studies graduates span −$30,582 to +$459,771 — a +$490K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Rhetoric & Writing Studies: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/rhetoric-and-writing-studies