Washington, District of Columbia · Private Non-Profit
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at American University
Use this school-and-field page as a fit screen, not a department ranking. It combines the 0.2% reported program-share signal, $41,943 school-wide net price, and $77,370 school-wide ten-year earnings before you compare peer schools. The enrollment proxy is about 17 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
Program snapshot
0.2% reported share makes this a small program signal in federal data.
This major
- Program signal
- 0.2%
- Enrollment proxy
- ~17
- Schools with reported signal
- 589
Admissions
- Acceptance rate (school)
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- 75.5%
Cost
- Avg net price (school)
- $41,943/yr
- 4-year cost (est.)
- $167,772
- Median debt
- $22,750
Outcomes
- Median earnings 10y
- $77,370/yr
- ROI grade (school)
- D
College Scorecard reports school-wide earnings and price, not per-major outcomes for individual colleges. Program share is a concentration signal, not a promise of department quality. Use it as a proxy, then verify department-level outcomes with the school.
Evidence used here: federal program-share data (0.2%), school-wide average net price ($41,943), school-wide ten-year median earnings ($77,370), and peer averages from 589 schools reporting a positive signal in this field. Evidence not included: department-level salary, placement rate, course quality, licensure eligibility, certification, or exam pass-rate outcomes. This page stays available for users because the program appears in federal data, but it is not promoted for search indexing while the reported share is below 1%.
Value among peer schools
Compared with 589 schools that report this field.
The answer is a value-screen grade of D, not a verified department verdict. The reported share is below the national average concentration; the school-wide net price is higher than the peer average ($21,289 above), and ten-year median earnings are higher than the peer average ($19,426 above). Together, those evidence points place American University in the top 90% ROI position within this field set.
See the national program hub →Comparable programs
Peer schools below also report a positive program-share signal and are sorted by value grade.
Questions about this program
How big is the program signal?
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies accounts for 0.2% of reported programs at American University, which is bigger than 24% of schools in this field set and below the national average concentration. The enrollment proxy is about 17 students when that share is applied to current enrollment.
How should I read the cost number?
American University's average net price is $41,943 per year, about $167,772 over four years. That is $21,289 above the $20,654 peer average, before your own aid package changes the final bill.
Are the earnings major-specific?
No. The $77,370 median earnings figure is school-wide ten years after entry. It is $19,426 above the $57,944 average among schools reporting this field, so treat it as an outcomes proxy rather than a department guarantee.
What should I compare next?
Start with program share, net price after aid, graduation rate, location, and whether the department publishes placement or licensure outcomes. EduGradify ranks American University #533 of 589 schools in this field set by school-wide ROI proxy.