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Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree
25 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
28
Optimistic
25
Base Case
18
Pessimistic
Earnings $18,241/yr (-38% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (62% exposed)
Job Market Large (48,200 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $209K $164K $121K
Earnings Multiple 1.0x 0.8x 0.6x
Viable Career Paths 6 of 6 6 of 6 4 of 6
DegreeWorth Score 28 25 18

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition
$202,536
Median Debt at Graduation
$26,638
17.5 months of Year 1 earnings

Career Paths

Where Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 48,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Technical writers $91,670 4,500 +0.9% 70%
Postsecondary teachers, all other $78,490 13,500 +1.8% 0%
English language and literature teachers, postsecondary $78,270 5,100 0.0% 53%
Editors $75,260 9,800 +0.6% 65%
Writers and authors $72,270 13,400 +3.6% 89%
Proofreaders and copy markers $49,210 1,900 -0.6% 98%

Compare & Explore

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Other Schools

Wabash College ($50,446) University of Utah ($47,950) Missouri State University-Springfield ($47,377) University of North Texas ($45,015) University of California-Berkeley ($44,553) Arizona State University Campus Immersion ($44,411) Arizona State University Digital Immersion ($44,411) Johns Hopkins University ($43,524)

Other Majors at Cornell College

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($42,756) Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods ($42,127) Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology ($39,164) Health and Physical Education/Fitness ($35,439)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Cornell College?
This program scores 25/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 28 (optimistic) to 18 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $120,672 (pessimistic) to $209,111 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies graduates?
The career paths mapped to Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies have roughly 48,200 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies at Cornell College worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 0.8x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 0.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.