How much debt do Oberlin College writing and rhetoric graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $26,487, which ranks 3rd lowest of 5 writing and rhetoric bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $281 a month over 10 years.

Is a writing and rhetoric degree from Oberlin College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 171% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 82%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

Oberlin College Writing and Rhetoric (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Private nonprofit college
Oberlin, OH
About 27 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Oberlin College writing and rhetoric graduates earn less than graduates of most writing and rhetoric programs nationally, $15,501 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $26,487 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several Ohio programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$15,5011st percentile of 110 programs nationally

Median federal debt$26,4873rd lowest of 5 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings171%Ohio median 86%, national 82%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Ohio and national columns are the medians across all writing and rhetoric bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Oberlin College	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$15,501	$31,218	$28,430
Median federal debt at graduation	$26,487	$26,487	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	171%	86%	82%
Programs compared		5	110

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio writing and rhetoric program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Ohio medians.

Oberlin CollegeOther Ohio programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $281 a month, or 21.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Cleveland area are about 6% below the national average, so a $15,501 salary here buys what about $16,504 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to writing and rhetoric, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Editors

$72,160

Median pay in Ohio. 1,800 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $37,440Top 10%: $124,730

Writers and Authors

$65,930

Median pay in Ohio. 830 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $40,190Top 10%: $101,710

Technical Writers

$76,480

Median pay in Ohio. 1,350 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus less than 5 years of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $48,970Top 10%: $125,150

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

$55,560

Median pay in Ohio. 100 people work in this job in Ohio. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $29,670Top 10%: $71,980

About Oberlin College

Tuition and fees	$67,366 / year
Average net price after aid	$38,645 / year
Admission rate	34%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	81%
Undergraduate students	2,887

Writing and Rhetoric ranks 10th of 11 bachelor's programs at Oberlin College by first-year earnings. The top three are Economics ($61,713), Neuroscience ($34,593), and Political Science ($30,187).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $15,501 one year after graduating. The median across writing and rhetoric bachelor's programs in Ohio is $31,218.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Ohio comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the writing and rhetoric program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Writing and Rhetoric bachelor's programs in Ohio, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Writing and Rhetoric bachelor's programs in the US, ranked110 programs by pay and debt All Oberlin College programs, ranked11 programs by pay and debt