Carbondale, Illinois has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs, with tuition ranging from $44,172 to $57,451 per year for indexed programs. Carbondale has a population of about 21,813. Median household income is $29,670 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Technical Writer at a median $88,700 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Professional Writing Schools to Carbondale
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near Carbondale, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Carbondale 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Carbondale.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,989
Avg net price
$12,786/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 76
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,262
Avg net price
$21,989/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 71
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,575
Avg net price
$18,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 39
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,054
Avg net price
$14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 177
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,852
Avg net price
$22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 97
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,123
Avg net price
$21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,462
Avg net price
$24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois professional writing page.
Professional Writing Wages Near Carbondale
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Writer and Author | $68,220 |
| Technical Writer | $88,700 |
| Editor | $76,060 |
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.
Carbondale at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 21,813 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $29,670 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 46.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Carbondale-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs
- Cape Girardeau, MO – 33.9 mi away (55,253 pop)
- Paducah, KY – 55.1 mi away (49,027 pop)
- Farmington, MO – 66.0 mi away (44,494 pop)
- Belleville, IL – 68.7 mi away (41,906 pop)
- O’Fallon, IL – 71.2 mi away (29,031 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited professional writing schools are near Carbondale, IL?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Carbondale. The closest is Washington University in St Louis in St. Louis, MO (87.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Evansville (93.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying professional writing roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles in Illinois are: Technical Writer ($88,700), Editor ($76,060), Writer and Author ($68,220). Wages for Carbondale workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Cape Girardeau instead of Carbondale?
Cape Girardeau, MO is 33.9 miles from Carbondale 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 Carbondale an affordable place to study professional writing?
Carbondale’s median household income of $29,670 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Carbondale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Carbondale
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- Counseling programs in Carbondale, IL
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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