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2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

274 Ranked Colleges
12,529 Degrees Awarded
$5,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Writing Studies is the 81st most popular major in the country with 12,529 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, writing studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,208 and had an average of $24,626 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 274 colleges that offered a degree in writing studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great writing studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the writing studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Writing Studies (Income $0-$30k)

1
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 112 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Johns Hopkins University Writing Studies Report

2
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It costs about $1,468 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brown.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Brown University

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,500 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at University of Chicago

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 274 schools in the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $245 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Northwestern

5

Out of the 274 schools in the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 202 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, U-M also did well on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,670 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Writing Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Harvard also did well on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $2,564 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Harvard University

8

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at UC Berkeley

9
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 6 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt excels when it comes to writing quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,176 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Vanderbilt Writing Studies Report

10
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #10, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 34 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Writing Studies at WUSTL

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified ’s writing students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,995 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Purdue Writing Studies Report

12

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Columbia

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 58 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our writing students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Writing Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

14

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It costs about $4,858 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Writing Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

With a ranking of #15, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. CCNY is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 20 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $1,254 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at The City College of New York

16
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 51 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Carnegie Mellon Writing Studies Report

17
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wellesley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley is $9,674 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Wellesley College Writing Studies Report

18
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 35 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Michigan State also did well on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,927 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State Writing Studies Report

19
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 12 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $65 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida Writing Studies Report

20
Brooklyn College crest
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #20, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s writing degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brooklyn College is $1,547 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Writing Studies at Brooklyn College

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Writing Studies Report

22
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #22, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 27 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, NC State is in the top on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,283 for writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Writing Studies at North Carolina State University

23

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s writing degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Writing Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $9,766 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Writing Studies at Iowa State

24
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #24, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 24 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Oberlin is also in the top of our “Best Writing Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,756 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin College.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Writing Studies at Oberlin

25
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 9 ’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $5,244 for Writing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornell Writing Studies Report

Rest of the Best 42 in Best Value Writing Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 42 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
27
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, New York
27
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
29
30
31
32
33
34
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
35
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan
36
37
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
38
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Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
39
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San Diego State University
San Diego, California
40
41
42
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Notes and References

References

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