Normal, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs. Normal has a population of about 52,908. Median household income is $66,350 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.5% 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 Normal
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near Normal, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Normal 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 Normal.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Normal
| 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.
Normal at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 52,908 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $66,350 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 52.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Normal-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs
- Bloomington, IL – 3.3 mi away (135,015 pop)
- East Peoria, IL – 30.9 mi away (22,939 pop)
- Pekin, IL – 33.7 mi away (33,038 pop)
- Peoria, IL – 36.5 mi away (265,218 pop)
- Decatur, IL – 46.1 mi away (89,653 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited professional writing schools are near Normal, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering professional writing programs near Normal. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (35.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Eastern Illinois University (83.9 miles). 5 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 Normal workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Bloomington instead of Normal?
Bloomington, IL is 3.3 miles from Normal 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 Normal an affordable place to study professional writing?
Normal’s median household income of $66,350 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Normal 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 Normal
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Normal:
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- Interior Design programs in Normal, IL
- Photography programs in Normal, IL
- Sustainability Management programs in Normal, IL
- Behavioral Health Science programs in Normal, IL
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Normal, IL
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Normal, IL
- Journalism programs in Normal, IL
- Public Relations programs in Normal, IL
- Communication Disorders programs in Normal, IL
- Speech Pathology programs in Normal, IL
- Technical Communication programs in Normal, IL
- Strategic Communications programs in Normal, IL
- Business Development programs in Normal, IL
- Construction Management programs in Normal, IL
- Economics programs in Normal, IL
- Financial Technology programs in Normal, IL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Normal, IL
- Health Information Management programs in Normal, IL
- Hospitality Management programs in Normal, IL
- International Business programs in Normal, IL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Normal, IL
- Management Information Systems programs in Normal, IL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Normal, IL
- Operations Management programs in Normal, IL
- Public Administration programs in Normal, IL
- Real Estate programs in Normal, IL
- Recreation Management programs in Normal, IL
- Retail Management programs in Normal, IL
- Risk Management programs in Normal, IL
- Statistics programs in Normal, IL
- Taxation programs in Normal, IL
- Corrections programs in Normal, IL
- Crime Analysis programs in Normal, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Normal, IL
- Criminology programs in Normal, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Normal, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Normal, IL
- Fire Science programs in Normal, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Normal, IL
- Legal Services programs in Normal, IL
- Legal Studies programs in Normal, IL
- Paralegal programs in Normal, IL
- Security Management programs in Normal, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Normal, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Normal, IL
- Innovation programs in Normal, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Normal, IL
- Software Development programs in Normal, IL
- User Experience programs in Normal, IL
- Web Development programs in Normal, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Normal, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Normal, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Normal, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Normal, IL
- Public Health programs in Normal, IL
- Human Resources programs in Normal, IL
- Project Management programs in Normal, IL
- Special Education programs in Normal, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Normal, IL
- Marketing programs in Normal, IL
- Finance programs in Normal, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Normal, IL
- Sports Management programs in Normal, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Normal, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Normal, IL
- Biology programs in Normal, IL
- Communications programs in Normal, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Normal, IL
- Human Services programs in Normal, IL
- MBA programs in Normal, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Normal, IL
- Nursing programs in Normal, IL
- Business Administration programs in Normal, IL
- Computer Science programs in Normal, IL
- Psychology programs in Normal, IL
- Education programs in Normal, IL
- Engineering programs in Normal, IL
- Technology programs in Normal, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Normal, IL
- Healthcare programs in Normal, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Normal, IL
- Accounting programs in Normal, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Normal, IL
- Social Work programs in Normal, IL
- Counseling programs in Normal, 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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