Knox College Writing: earnings, debt & careers

Writing graduates of Knox College earn a median $38,967 four years after graduating ($15,466 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,976. That is $8,174 below the U.S. median for Writing graduates ($47,141 across 135 colleges), and ranks 6th of 7 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$38,967

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

College Scorecard field of study; 33 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$15,466

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,976

About 69% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$24,595 /yr

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

Sticker price $68,134. College Scorecard.

Knox College Writing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Knox College graduates$38,967
Illinois median (7 colleges)$44,004 (−$5,037)
U.S. median (135 colleges)$47,141 (−$8,174)

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 Knox College'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$17,134$72,991more than 20 years
$30–48k$17,363$73,966more than 20 years
$48–75k$23,844$101,575more than 20 years
$75–110k$25,402$108,213more than 20 years
$110k+$31,983$136,248more than 20 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (52% 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 ($38,967) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,170 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.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$56,632—$13,29762%
2Elmhurst University$47,052$23,250$24,18570%
3Illinois College$45,716—$18,29864%
4University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$44,004$23,250$14,35585%
5Columbia College Chicago$39,751$27,000$26,59852%
6Knox College$38,967$26,976$24,59568%
7Augustana College$33,950—$22,73673%

15 more Illinois colleges offer Writing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Writing graduates

Editors

Illinois$76,060
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

Illinois$50,060
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 Knox College, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Knox College

Related majors at Knox College

  • Journalism—
  • English—

Knox College Writing questions

How much do Knox College Writing graduates earn?

Writing graduates of Knox College earn a median $38,967 four years after graduating and $15,466 one year after. The U.S. median for Writing graduates across 135 colleges is $47,141.

How much debt do Knox College Writing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Writing graduates of Knox College is $26,976, about 69% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is Knox College a good school for Writing in Illinois?

On pay, Writing graduates of Knox College earn $38,967 four years out, $5,037 below the median for the same major across 7 Illinois colleges ($44,004) and $8,174 below the U.S. median ($47,141). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Knox College rank for Writing in Illinois?

Of 7 Illinois colleges reporting Writing graduate earnings, Knox College ranks 6th. 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 $76,060 in Illinois 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: “Knox College Writing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/knox-college/majors/writing (College Scorecard and BLS data).