Grand Valley State University Writing: earnings, debt & careers

Writing graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median $43,552 four years after graduating ($31,016 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,000. That is $3,589 below the U.S. median for Writing graduates ($47,141 across 135 colleges), and ranks 5th of 11 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$43,552

U.S. median for this major: $47,141.

College Scorecard field of study; 104 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$31,016

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,000

About 57% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$16,317 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $28,367. College Scorecard.

GVSU Writing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

GVSU graduates$43,552
Michigan median (11 colleges)$40,929 (+$2,623)
U.S. median (135 colleges)$47,141 (−$3,589)

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.

Writing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses GVSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$12,272$54,2425.3 years
$30–48k$11,902$52,6075.2 years
$48–75k$12,861$56,8465.6 years
$75–110k$16,609$73,4127.2 years
$110k+$22,534$99,6009.8 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (45% 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 ($43,552) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,141 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 Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Writing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Michigan State University$56,662$25,750$19,68081%
2Saginaw Valley State University$50,875$30,432$10,77548%
3Ferris State University$47,823$21,500$8,62447%
4University of Michigan-Ann Arbor$43,689$13,999$13,13893%
5Grand Valley State University$43,552$25,000$16,31767%
6Eastern Michigan University$40,929—$15,40746%
7Western Michigan University$40,792$27,000$15,27358%
8Northern Michigan University$39,982$24,250$14,08552%
9Aquinas College$39,465$26,844$16,62665%
10University of Michigan-Flint$33,533$27,875$7,00740%
11Calvin University$32,843—$22,99274%

11 more Michigan colleges offer Writing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Writing graduates

Editors

Grand Rapids area$61,860
Michigan$63,090
U.S.$77,920

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Michigan$35,530
U.S.$51,120

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 GVSU, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About GVSU

Related majors at GVSU

GVSU Writing questions

How much do GVSU Writing graduates earn?

Writing graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median $43,552 four years after graduating and $31,016 one year after. The U.S. median for Writing graduates across 135 colleges is $47,141.

How much debt do GVSU Writing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Writing graduates of Grand Valley State University is $25,000, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is GVSU a good school for Writing in Michigan?

On pay, Writing graduates of Grand Valley State University earn $43,552 four years out, $2,623 above the median for the same major across 11 Michigan colleges ($40,929) and $3,589 below the U.S. median ($47,141). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does GVSU rank for Writing in Michigan?

Of 11 Michigan colleges reporting Writing graduate earnings, Grand Valley State University ranks 5th. The highest is Michigan State University at $56,662.

What jobs do Writing graduates get?

A common career is editors, with a median wage of $61,860 in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area and $77,920 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.

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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
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Cite this: “Grand Valley State University Writing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/grand-valley-state-university/majors/writing (College Scorecard and BLS data).