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Best Colleges with Creative Writing Degrees in the U.S.

Creative writing is about artistically sharing emotions, thoughts, and opinions on a subject; not just relaying information. Courses include American literature, editing and proofing, fundamentals of writing, world literature, Shakespeare, screenwriting fundamentals, fiction fundamentals, writing nonfiction, and poetry writing. Creative writing covers both nonfiction and fiction, but the predominant types of creative writing are poetry and fiction, which includes novels, short stories, novellas, and flash fiction. Playwriting, screenwriting, journaling, and memoirs are other typical forms.
Students will learn how to use written language to communicate more clearly in their professional and personal lives and move beyond proficient mechanics to writing craftily in an attempt to evoke emotions and express points of view. Careers for creative writers?outside of being a creative writer?include blogger, journalist, composition teacher, copywriter, scriptwriter, and novelist. Creative writers must understand the importance of deadlines and have well-researched writing samples in order to move up the career ladder. The median annual wage of writers and authors was more than $50,000 in May 2010. Religious, professional, and civic industries employed the most writers followed by newspapers and book industries. Creative writers may also be freelance writers. Freelance writers are self-employed individuals who make a living selling their content to publishers. They may simultaneously work on multiple assignments for numerous companies depending on individual financial goals.
The Best Creative Writing Colleges of 2019
Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
Johns Hopkins University offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 262 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 136 Bachelor's degrees, and 126 Master's degrees. | Based on 32 Reviews |
Read more: Johns Hopkins University Reviews
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2 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA |
University of Southern California offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 184 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 110 Bachelor's degrees, and 74 Master's degrees. | Based on 52 Reviews |
Read more: University of Southern California Reviews
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3 | Emerson College | Boston, MA |
Emerson College offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large city. In 2015, 354 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 264 Bachelor's degrees, and 90 Master's degrees. | Based on 16 Reviews |
Read more: Emerson College Reviews
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4 | Brown University | Providence, RI |
Brown University offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 82 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 60 Bachelor's degrees, and 22 Master's degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Brown University Reviews
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5 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
Northwestern University offers 10 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a small city. In 2015, 40 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 30 Master's degrees, 10 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 40 Reviews |
Read more: Northwestern University Reviews
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6 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 354 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 260 Bachelor's degrees, and 94 Certificates degrees. | Based on 72 Reviews | ||
7 | Full Sail University | Winter Park, FL |
Full Sail University offers 4 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 888 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 634 Bachelor's degrees, and 254 Master's degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Full Sail University Reviews
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8 | Harvard University | Cambridge, MA |
Harvard University offers 2 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 12 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 12 Master's degrees. | Based on 44 Reviews |
Read more: Harvard University Reviews
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9 | Washington University in St Louis | Saint Louis, MO |
Washington University in St Louis offers 6 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 22 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 18 Master's degrees, and 4 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 36 Reviews |
Read more: Washington University in St Louis Reviews
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10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 4 Creative Writing Degree programs. It's a large private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 12 students graduated in the study area of Creative Writing with students earning 12 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 40 Reviews |
List of Creative Writing Schools in the U.S.
School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD |
5/5
|
6 : 1 | 22,686 |
|
University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA |
5/5
|
16 : 1 | 43,401 |
|
Emerson College Boston, MA |
5/5
|
16 : 1 | 4,479 |
|
Brown University Providence, RI |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 9,458 |
|
Northwestern University Evanston, IL |
5/5
|
10 : 1 | 21,655 |
|
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA |
4/5
|
7 : 1 | 28,649 |
|
Full Sail University Winter Park, FL |
4/5
|
24 : 1 | 20,025 |
|
Harvard University Cambridge, MA |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 29,652 |
|
Washington University in St Louis Saint Louis, MO |
5/5
|
9 : 1 | 14,688 |
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA |
5/5
|
8 : 1 | 11,331 |
|
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN |
5/5
|
4 : 1 | 12,567 |
|
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH |
5/5
|
8 : 1 | 6,350 |
|
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI |
3/5
|
7 : 1 | 43,651 |
|
University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 12,292 |
|
Cornell University Ithaca, NY |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 21,904 |
|
New York University New York, NY |
5/5
|
8 : 1 | 50,027 |
|
Brandeis University Waltham, MA |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 5,752 |
|
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA |
3/5
|
12 : 1 | 45,408 |
|
University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA |
4/5
|
11 : 1 | 23,883 |
|
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 12,963 |
|
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 16,825 |
|
Emory University Atlanta, GA |
5/5
|
7 : 1 | 13,788 |
|
University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA |
3/5
|
24 : 1 | 21,385 |
|
Wellesley College Wellesley, MA |
5/5
|
7 : 1 | 2,510 |
|
Boston University Boston, MA |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 32,158 |
Find Local Colleges Offering Creative Writing Degrees
Getting a Creative Writing Degree Online
Schools offering online Creative Writing degrees
Online Creative Writing degrees are available at a variety of different schools with as many as 444 degrees earned at the most popular school. Read more below about all schools that have offered online Creative Writing degrees. If you are interested learning more about getting a degree online, check out our page dedicated to online degree information.
School Name | Certificate | Associate's | Bachelor's | Master's | Doctoral |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full Sail University | 0 | 0 | 317 | 127 | 0 |
Southern New Hampshire University | 0 | 0 | 182 | 0 | 0 |
Johns Hopkins University | 0 | 0 | 55 | 63 | 0 |
Wilkes University | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
National University | 0 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
- 3 Certificates
- 2 Associate's
- 5 Bachelor's
- 10 Master's
What degrees do people get in Creative Writing?
Degree Level | Program Length | Colleges | Graduates |
---|---|---|---|
Associate's | 2-year Length | 21 Colleges | 72 Graduates |
Bachelor's | 4-year Length | 227 Colleges | 3,510 Graduates |
Certificates | < 1 year Length | 45 Colleges | 176 Graduates |
Doctoral | 1-2 year Length | 2 Colleges | 11 Graduates |
Master's | 1+ years Length | 203 Colleges | 3,419 Graduates |
Creative Writing Degree Overview
Researching a Creative Writing degree you will find that there are many possibilities for a traditional degree as well as higher education selections. The most standard path for those earning a degree in Creative Writing can look for a standard two to four years to earn a degree. The most popular Creative Writing degree earned was a bachelor's degree and it also has the widest range of school possibilities as well. The second most popular Creative Writing degree that people acquire is a master's degree which highlights a focus on higher learning. This goes to show that the degree requires dedication to schooling and you may want to seek more than a four year time commitment. Although a doctoral degree is offered at some schools, getting an advanced degree is not very common. When it comes to finding the right degree for you, find what would be a good match to your goals and flexibility as well as looking into what school options are available in order for you to earn your degree.
Average cost of college for a Creative Writing degree
Average Tuition and Fees for a 2 year Degree
Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
---|---|---|
$2,967 | Public | In-State |
$7,152 | Public | Out-of-State |
Average Tuition and Fees for a 4 year Degree
Average Tuition and Fees | School Control | Student Residence |
---|---|---|
$8,599 | Public | In-State |
$32,806 | Private | In-State |
$20,280 | Public | Out-of-State |
$32,806 | Private | Out-of-State |