by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,597 writing studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major” ranking analyzed 454 colleges that offered a degree in writing studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their writing studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major” list to help you make the college decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampshire College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
Out of the 454 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Sweet Briar College landed the #2 spot on the list. Sweet Briar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sweet Briar, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wabash College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major. Crawfordsville, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s writing degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Emerson College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 133 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Agnes Scott College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major. Agnes Scott College is a small school located in Decatur, Georgia that handed out 22 bachelors’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg is located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s writing degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Art Academy of Cincinnati landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s writing degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Knox College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #9, Illinois College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s writing degrees to qualified students.
With a ranking of #10, Susquehanna University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Susquehanna is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s writing degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. This small school is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Writing Studies at Institute of American Indian Arts
With a ranking of #12, Warren Wilson College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Warren Wilson is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swannanoa, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
With a ranking of #13, Covenant College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Covenant College is a small school located in Lookout Mountain, Georgia that handed out 13 bachelors’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
Beloit College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s writing degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Cornell College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Montevallo ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Montevallo is a small public school situated in Montevallo, Alabama. It awarded 24 bachelors’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #16, Salem College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Goddard College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Plainfield, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s writing degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school awarded 225 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
Hamilton College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Located in Clinton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
DePauw University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
University of Maine at Farmington came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. This small school is located in Farmington, Maine, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s writing degrees in 2020-2021.
Full University of Maine at Farmington Writing Studies Report
With a ranking of #23, Full Sail University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Winter Park, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s writing degrees to 234 students in 2020-2021.
Bridgewater College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major list. Located in Bridgewater, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s writing students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Roanoke College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Writing Major ranking. Roanoke College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Converse College | Spartanburg, SC |
| 52 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 53 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY |
| 54 | Whitman College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 55 | SUNY Potsdam | Potsdam, NY |
| 56 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 57 | Eckerd College | Saint Petersburg, FL |
| 58 | Taylor University | Upland, IN |
| 58 | Maryville College | Maryville, TN |
| 60 | Houghton College | Houghton, NY |
| 61 | Bowling Green State University - Main Campus | Bowling Green, OH |
| 62 | Pratt Institute - Main | Brooklyn, NY |
| 63 | Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO |
| 64 | Saint Edward’s University | Austin, TX |
| 65 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Franklin College | Franklin, IN |
| 67 | University of New Mexico - Main Campus | Albuquerque, NM |
| 68 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Campus | Madison, NJ |
| 69 | Blackburn College | Carlinville, IL |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
