New Orleans, Louisiana is home to about 376,035 residents. Median household income is $55,339 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area, the top-earning professional writing-related role is Writer and Author at a median $79,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Professional Writing Schools to New Orleans
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer professional writing programs near New Orleans, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from New Orleans 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 New Orleans.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,021
Avg net price
$13,606/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,279
Avg net price
$11,864/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 82
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Louisiana schools on the Louisiana professional writing page.
Professional Writing Wages Near New Orleans
New Orleans is part of the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metro area (BLS area code 35380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Louisiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Writer and Author | $79,020 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $85,335 |
| Technical Writer | $62,990 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $68,024 |
| Editor | $61,260 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $66,156 |
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.
New Orleans at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 376,035 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $55,339 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 42.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other New Orleans-Area Cities With Professional Writing Programs
- Slidell, LA – 17.5 mi away (94,320 pop)
- Kenner, LA – 19.9 mi away (67,089 pop)
- Mandeville, LA – 23.3 mi away (95,576 pop)
- Hammond, LA – 43.6 mi away (69,616 pop)
- Gulfport, MS – 56.9 mi away (222,131 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying professional writing roles near New Orleans?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying professional writing-related roles near New Orleans are: Writer and Author ($79,020), Technical Writer ($62,990), Editor ($61,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Louisiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Slidell instead of New Orleans?
Slidell, LA is 17.5 miles from New Orleans 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 New Orleans an affordable place to study professional writing?
New Orleans’s median household income of $55,339 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Orleans while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana 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 New Orleans
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for New Orleans:
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- Finance programs in New Orleans, LA
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- Education programs in New Orleans, LA
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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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