U.S. median for this major: $47,141.
College Scorecard field of study; 87 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 68% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,889. College Scorecard.
Columbia College Chicago Writing: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Columbia College Chicago's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,924 | $90,810 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $21,423 | $92,976 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $25,590 | $111,061 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $31,677 | $137,478 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $36,436 | $158,132 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (39% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Writing graduates 4 years after graduating ($39,751) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,954 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Writing at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Writing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $56,632 | — | $13,297 | 62% |
| 2 | Elmhurst University | $47,052 | $23,250 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 3 | Illinois College | $45,716 | — | $18,298 | 64% |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $44,004 | $23,250 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 5 | Columbia College Chicago | $39,751 | $27,000 | $26,598 | 52% |
| 6 | Knox College | $38,967 | $26,976 | $24,595 | 68% |
| 7 | Augustana College | $33,950 | — | $22,736 | 73% |
15 more Illinois colleges offer Writing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Writing graduates
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Proofreaders and Copy Markers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Columbia College Chicago, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Columbia College Chicago
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 52% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,195
- Full cost breakdown · all 26 majors · overview
Related majors at Columbia College Chicago
- Journalism$51,639
- English—
- Communications—
- Public Relations and Advertising$66,798
Columbia College Chicago Writing questions
How much do Columbia College Chicago Writing graduates earn?
Writing graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median $39,751 four years after graduating and $25,060 one year after. The U.S. median for Writing graduates across 135 colleges is $47,141.
How much debt do Columbia College Chicago Writing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Writing graduates of Columbia College Chicago is $27,000, about 68% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Columbia College Chicago a good school for Writing in Illinois?
On pay, Writing graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn $39,751 four years out, $4,253 below the median for the same major across 7 Illinois colleges ($44,004) and $7,390 below the U.S. median ($47,141). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Columbia College Chicago rank for Writing in Illinois?
Of 7 Illinois colleges reporting Writing graduate earnings, Columbia College Chicago ranks 5th. The highest is Southern Illinois University-Carbondale at $56,632.
What jobs do Writing graduates get?
A common career is editors, with a median wage of $80,380 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $77,920 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.
Is Columbia College Chicago the right fit for your family?
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Columbia College Chicago Writing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/majors/writing (College Scorecard and BLS data).