Best Professional Writing Schools Near McDonough, GA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McDonough, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs. McDonough has a population of about 30,056. Median household income is $77,734 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Writer and Author at a median $81,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Professional Writing Schools to McDonough

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near McDonough, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McDonough city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from McDonough. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Clark Atlanta University

Atlanta, GA 26.1 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,712
Avg net price $37,702/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA 31.9 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,232
Avg net price $19,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA 48.3 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,552
Avg net price $15,048/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Middle Georgia State University

Macon, GA 49.9 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,863
Avg net price $12,361/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Georgia

Athens, GA 57.1 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,726
Avg net price $13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 241

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, GA 58.5 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,140
Avg net price $20,686/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Covenant College

Lookout Mountain, GA 126.5 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
51.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,412
Avg net price $26,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA 140.1 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,996
Avg net price $6,842/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Georgia schools on the Georgia professional writing page.

Professional Writing Wages Near McDonough

McDonough is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area (BLS area code 12060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Writer and Author$81,990Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$81,908
Technical Writer$75,140Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$75,065
Editor$77,680Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$77,602

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

McDonough at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,056Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$77,734Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.1 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other McDonough-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited professional writing schools are near McDonough, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near McDonough. The closest is Southern Crescent Technical College in Griffin, GA (15.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chattahoochee Technical College (41.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying professional writing roles near McDonough?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles near McDonough are: Writer and Author ($81,990), Editor ($77,680), Technical Writer ($75,140). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Stockbridge instead of McDonough?

Stockbridge, GA is 7.5 miles from McDonough and has its own set of local professional writing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is McDonough an affordable place to study professional writing?

McDonough’s median household income of $77,734 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McDonough while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Professional Writing Programs

Other Programs Available in McDonough

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for McDonough:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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