Washington, District of Columbia · Private Non-Profit
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at American University
Read the reported program-share signal, school-wide price, and outcome proxy before comparing peer schools in this field. 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.
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.
This page treats cost and earnings as school-wide context, not department-level outcomes. 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). That combination produces a D value grade and a 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.