Oklahoma·Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations·SOC 27-3043

Best Writer programs in Oklahoma, ranked by enrollment

Originate and prepare written material, such as scripts, stories, advertisements, and other.

24 schools in Oklahoma run programs that feed this job, graduating 699 people a year. The job pays a median of $58,770 in Oklahoma across about 220 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledAuthorNovelistCopywriterSongwriterFreelance WriterFreelance CopywriterAdvertising CopywriterAdvertisement Agency Copywriter (Ad Agency Copywriter)
Graduates / yr
699
in Oklahoma
Median pay · Oklahoma
$58,770
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
220
people employed
Schools
24
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
42%
across those schools
Median net price
$23,214
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

9 programs in Oklahoma that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Oklahoma (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Oklahoma page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 09.0401In Oklahoma
267
38.2%
8$34,515$24,250
2
CIP 09.0101In Oklahoma
170
24.3%
6$34,858$25,000
3
CIP 09.0402In Oklahoma
104
14.9%
4$34,515$24,250
4
CIP 09.0100In Oklahoma
54
7.7%
6$34,858$25,000
5
CIP 09.0102In Oklahoma
54
7.7%
7$34,858$25,000
6
CIP 23.1302In Oklahoma
43
6.2%
8$28,725$25,250
7
CIP 09.9999In Oklahoma
5
0.7%
1$36,931$24,500
8
CIP 23.1304In Oklahoma
1
0.1%
1$28,725$25,250
9
CIP 52.0501In Oklahoma
1
0.1%
1$41,000$26,000

Top 24 schools in Oklahoma

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 7 of the 24 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus
Norman, OK Public · 5 feeder programs
402Journalism$36,74475%77%
2University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond, OK Public · 4 feeder programs
37Broadcast Journalism$28,13937%78%
3Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK Public · 3 feeder programs
31Speech Communication and Rhetoric$34,70335%100%
4Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, OK Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
30Communication, General$39,20657%$23,54399%
5Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Stillwater, OK Public · 2 feeder programs
27Mass Communication/Media Studies68%75%
6Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Durant, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
21Speech Communication and Rhetoric32%76%
7Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
17Journalism27%
8Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, OK Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
15Creative Writing65%$22,58977%
9Tulsa Community College
Tulsa, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
15Communication, General28%
10Langston University
Langston, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
11Broadcast Journalism17%
11East Central University
Ada, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
10Mass Communication/Media Studies$24,63834%58%
12Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Weatherford, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
10Communication, General40%
13University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
10Speech Communication and Rhetoric$27,61272%$23,47062%
14Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, OK Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
9Speech Communication and Rhetoric$28,58256%$21,96497%
15University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chickasha, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
9Communication, General44%66%
16Rose State College
Midwest City, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
8Journalism20%
17Mid - America Christian University
Oklahoma City, OK Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
7Mass Communication/Media Studies44%$17,08892%
18Oklahoma Baptist University
Shawnee, OK Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
7Journalism52%$23,21449%
19Cameron University
Lawton, OK Public · 2 feeder programs
5Broadcast Journalism31%
20Eastern Oklahoma State College
Wilburton, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Mass Communication/Media Studies27%
21Murray State College
Tishomingo, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Speech Communication and Rhetoric27%
22Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Alva, OK Public · 1 feeder programs
5Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other30%65%
23Southern Nazarene University
Bethany, OK Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
2Mass Communication/Media Studies51%$19,619
24Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Business/Corporate Communications, General35%$26,67166%

All 24 schools in Oklahoma

Every school in Oklahoma with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Oklahoma that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Oklahoma - Norman CampusNormanPublic4025
University of Central OklahomaEdmondPublic374
Northeastern State UniversityTahlequahPublic313
Oral Roberts UniversityTulsaPrivate not-for-profit304
Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwaterPublic272
Southeastern Oklahoma State UniversityDurantPublic211
Oklahoma City Community CollegeOklahoma CityPublic171
Oklahoma City UniversityOklahoma CityPrivate not-for-profit152
Tulsa Community CollegeTulsaPublic151
Langston UniversityLangstonPublic111
East Central UniversityAdaPublic101
Southwestern Oklahoma State UniversityWeatherfordPublic101
University of TulsaTulsaPrivate not-for-profit101
Oklahoma Christian UniversityEdmondPrivate not-for-profit93
University of Science and Arts of OklahomaChickashaPublic91

What writers and authors earn in Oklahoma

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Oklahoma
$58,770
Mean annual
$66,250
Jobs in state
220
What the range looks like
10th pct$38,230Median$58,77090th pct$98,230
Versus the national median
-23.6%

U.S. median $76,910. Oklahoma pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.42×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, OK
$64,100median
Tulsa, OK
$63,780median
50 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+3.6%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
13,400
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
4,900
135,400 → 140,300
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus long-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Writers and Authors page.

How to become a Writer

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

WritingReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningCritical ThinkingActive Learning

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Oklahoma

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 19 majors mapped to Writers and Authors19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 09.0100Communication, General
  • 09.0101Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  • 09.0102Mass Communication/Media Studies
  • 09.0401Journalism
  • 09.0402Broadcast Journalism
  • 09.9999Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
  • 19.0202Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Communication
  • 23.1301Writing, General
  • 23.1302Creative Writing
  • 23.1303Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
  • 23.1304Rhetoric and Composition
  • 23.1399Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Other
  • 23.1401General Literature
  • 23.1405Children's and Adolescent Literature
  • 23.1499Literature, Other
  • 50.0504Playwriting and Screenwriting
  • 50.0511Comedy Writing and Performance
  • 52.0501Business/Corporate Communications, General
  • 52.0599Business/Corporate Communications, Other

Common questions

Answers for people weighing writers and authors programs in Oklahoma.

What degree do you need to become a Writer?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Journalism, which awarded 267 degrees in Oklahoma in 2024-25, 38.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Writer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Journalism, Communication and Media Studies, Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies, Communication, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 699 people a year in Oklahoma.

How much do writers and authors earn in Oklahoma?+

The median is $58,770 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 23.6% below the U.S. median of $76,910. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for writers and authors growing?+

BLS projects a +3.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 13,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Oklahoma?+

24 institutions in Oklahoma reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do writers and authors work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Author, Novelist, Copywriter, Songwriter, Freelance Writer, Freelance Copywriter among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 27-3043.

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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